The Lost Girls
by Sasami1
Summary: Turtle girls. Need I say more? Probably. Finished.
1. Angel

__

The Lost Girls

~Sasami

Night is good. I always loved the night. The darkness. One could disappear if they wanted to. And under a full sky of stars, the whole world is silent. Just these little clear crystals, turned white like moonlight through a water. Such beauty in something so distant and empty. I reminded myself that all that encompassing black was given by being a void of all matter.

That was how I was feeling in some respects. Maybe why I took such notice. Ever since moving to New York I had been… squelching parts of myself? Those which were not pragmatic for myself or my friends. It had been a long time since I had really laughed. No more jokes or dancing. No art school. I hadn't drawn a stick figure in the last three months.

Three months. Was it really that long? Three months with no family. No life. Going from a nineteen-year-old collegiate, from a well-off and kind family, to a sideshow living in something just beyond secrecy. I hadn't spoken to another living soul ever since the incident, outside of my friends. Our families probably thought we had run off, or were murdered by now. That was for the best.

The decision to split completely from our lives was one made in haste. It had to be. Although now, I wonder how wise it was to have cut all our ties. Especially now when we had to scrape and steal for food. Survivalism was tough. That was one of the reasons we picked NYC. Someone could disappear there. Crackheads, prostitutes, drug dealers, they all lived and survived in this city, why couldn't we. All we needed was a place to sleep, and food to eat. So we thought. 

We four lived together, moving every few weeks as needed. I expected it would be hard starting life over. But I had no idea. Stripped down raw, we had to build ourselves back up again. No family, no money, no familiarity, we couldn't even go to decent charity houses. It was quickly apparent that to make it, we would have to stick together. And under the circumstances, that was one of the first things to be shaken.

I had found myself in the situation of balancing three varying personalities. Each displaced in the new city; afraid, alone, adjusting like a falling building into the fissure of an earthquake. Rubbed raw, tears both drew us together, and repelled us from one another. Our forms made us hate ourselves. My prerogative was to get us beyond the trivialities, help my friends age enough to survive here. I don't even know why I do it. I suppose someone had to, and maybe I was the only one capable enough three months ago. For whatever reason, I was still playing the part that had been thrust on me.

And now, sitting on a shadowed rooftop, I reflected myself in my mind, and didn't know how to feel but weary. My life dragged onward. I had to hope that things would brighten up. I mean, what do we have if we don't have hope for the future. We are lost.

Now there's a scuffling below me. The alley I had picked was usually deserted, I had found. It was why I went there. None of the other girls knew the place, and seemingly no one else did. But tonight there were three forms moving through pockets of light and dark. Scuttling in from the street, they settled to one side of the garbage container, directly below the fire escape. This would usually be my signal to leave, but tonight was different. There was an impression of fear below. I sensed terror even. And it was quickly becoming clear what was taking place.

The first two, whom I had originally guessed to be the 'couple,' were struggling between the side of the garbage container and the brick of the wall. The guy of course is struggling inward, the girl to get outward. And the third male was pacing just beyond, keeping a gun trained just so on the couple, rather foolishly I thought, waiting for when his turn would come. The two were like a pair of nervous and hungry dogs. Hissing their pleads for the girl's silence and cooperation as they simultaneously ripped and tore at her shirt buttons. The amateurism made it all the more disturbing. A shudder passed through me.

I remembered that before the incident I had sworn to myself to uphold some sense of justice. Even if it was the unpopular act. Even if I didn't know what I was really getting into.

Stepping onto the fire escape below, the metal whined at me. But the boys must not have taken notice, or not have been alarmed, for they hardly bothered to look skyward. Climbing onto the rail, I could see the open garbage bin directly below me. I needed to element of surprise if I wasn't going to get shot. Taking a breath, and holding my hat against my head, I tucked and fell. I knew my partially formed shell would provide some minimal protection should something go wrong. But I was still immensely glad when I felt the 'thrunch' of refuse when I landed in the bin below. Taking only a moment to gather myself, I popped my head out of the bin and grinned sardonically to the two startled faces.

"Surprise!" The one with the gun, dressed in acid jeans and a jersey, began firing. He didn't know how to steady himself well enough, and I rolled out of the bin without being hit. That was where my luck ended. With a full body target, he settled some of his eagerness, and got me right in my arm, a little below the shoulder. The pain was immense. A fire ripped through me, and I barely had mind enough to duck when his aim raised. My head sunk into me, leaving my hat to rest deflated in it's place. The next moment it was blown off. I was holding my arm through the coat, and began to feel the warmth of my blood as it seeped into the sleeve. That would be trouble. 

I raised my head again, to his horrified face. Advantage, me. The gun was still raised, and he was close enough for me to grab him now.

"Whu…_what the hell is that!_" He was obviously addressing his friend, who didn't have a good point of view to begin with.

"An Angel, here to check your boarding pass." Before he could squeeze off some more sloppy shots, I grabbed his arm, weaving mine around enough to control its direction, and point it down and away. He still got off another shot and I felt it graze my thigh, tearing my pants. With his arm wrapped in mine, I pulled him down and kicked him across the middle. It knocked the wind out of him. My arm was throbbing, and the blood on my hand made a stain on his arm when I let him go. The gun I grabbed out of his hand as he went down, and quickly wedged my finger into the loop of the trigger. I aimed down and fired once, sure that my aim was much better than his.

Knocking open the chamber, I let the last few bullets drop to the pavement. If I hadn't gotten the gun away, most of those would've been in me, I knew. I tossed the bloody gun into the garbage as the second prick came forward. He had emerged with a switch blade from god knows where, and looked rather agitated. But anxious still. His pants were still undone. I hoped he wasn't the sort of person who learned from other people's mistakes, and grabbed his hand. My touching him sent him into shock, enough for me to wrench the knife away. With one downward slice, I cut his chest. He began bleeding immediately, and screamed. I didn't want him alerting someone (not that the bullets might've already done that) so I brought the knife to his throat, resting right above his Adam's apple. Carefully- so I didn't accidentally cut him. As soon as I moved he had shut up, and looked at me. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and I tried not to hate him too much. Waiting a few painful moments so he knew the skirmish was over; I felt the blood sticking my coat sleeve to my arm.

"Take him and go." I lifted the blade enough to let him move aside. Which he did with great speed. He hefted up his hollering friend, still clutching his poor shoulder, and stumbled to the street. I closed the knife up and decided to keep it, dropping it into my pocket. After a few moments some bushy brown hair peeked out from behind the garbage container. The girl, clutching her shirt closed, climbed to her feet, her wide eyes never leaving mine. With a few whimpers she began to scream. I scratched my hair as she ran passed. I hadn't expected her to stay. But she didn't have to scream.

Moving back into the shadows, I let myself come down. The fight was an adrenaline kick. I could feel both my fear and bitterness together, draining me emotionally as the simmering adrenaline and bullet wound drained me physically. The pain was searing from where the muscle had been shredded into oblivion. It was the second most painful experience in my life. Gripping my arm, I hoped the blood would stop leaking out of me. I had no idea how to treat such an injury, or what exactly had been torn up. I did know that by the rate of blood loss I had better think of something fast. Where was providence when I needed it.

~~

~~A.N.

Please review! Pleeeeeease! I appreciate reviews~ ^____^

Sasami!


	2. Shells of a feather

~~

In the bowels of old industrial park, in a lane between two most recently deserted offices, two minds struggled. Stretching, turning, the essence of evaluation. The other overpowered, and broken into a vulnerability. The latter stayed on the ground level, leaning their head to rest against the red brick of the office building. A muffled wailing filled the narrow lane, from the scorching and shooting pain of decimated nerves. Loss, fear, hopelessness, all that had been ardently kept at bay now emerged in the confusion. And because of this, no notice could be taken of the tentative steps that approached. Like cats feet on velvet, or some other heavy and silent fabric. Walking a line of cautious excitement, and mild paternal instincts.

Angel shrieked as Leonardo merely touched her shoulder. She spun and took little notice of his face, going immediately for the knife in her pocket. He grabbed her arm; he had seen the fight and knew what she was reaching for. Panicking, Angel tried to wrench her wrist free, pushing him away with her other hand as he eagerly tried to hush her. Ultimately he was too strong, and was displaced little by her force. But it quickly occurred to him her natural mindset, and he released her arm momentarily to remove his hat. At night, colors worked like the shading of a newsprinted photo, just different grades of gray, but it was enough for Angel to recognize the smooth green skin. Lowering his hand, Leonardo watched a revelation wash over her face, the struggle having immediately frozen, like a radio dial changing stations. Her hand removed itself from his shoulder, although it was more intent to stay than anything else. The knife was forgotten.

A strange calm descended the pair, that of an instant and hardly understood camaraderie. Eyes locked, Angel's mind became numb. Her body however did not, and crick by crick, her knees lowered. Leonardo eased her to the ground, knowing that he could not hold her upright well enough. Her eyes, some infinite shade of blue, remained on his almost pleadingly, although she would never admit it, as she descended. He knelt before her, holding her arms still to see that she would not hurt herself. The blood covered sleeve worried him and he quickly set about bandaging it, confident that she would not object.

The coat was removed in a joint effort, dropping soggily to the side in the shadow of the garbage bin. The sweatshirt she wore was too thick to be easily ripped, and the hole, which he would've used as a rough perforation, was likely too far up the arm. But to pull it over her head might cause further damage, again he was unsure. Reaching into his coat, into the sloped crevice created on his hip by where his shell attached to his body, he pulled a dagger from its strappings. With one hand he grasped the collar of the sweatshirt taught, Angel tilting her head away. The fabric tore against the blade, and he worked the dagger in a saw like fashion until the sweatshirt had been split into something more jacket like. He stuck the blade back in its place out of habit, and helped remove the shirt. Underneath was a white tee-shirt, minute slits down the center from where the blade had cut a little too far, but had done no real damage. The arm now exposed, they both saw the sticky dark blood that hadn't yet been absorbed into one of the sleeves. Leonardo more than Angel, who used much of her mind power to keep from feinting. The presence of it gave her no illness, but her body's lack of it did. She watched languidly as the hole oozed blood in tepid runs, as though she could time her own heart rate by them. Her eyes shifted to her savior, who was now ripping unsodden stripes of bandage from her sweatshirt.

After hastily wrapping the wound itself, tying the ends in tightly, Leonardo removed his mask for added measure, and tied it an inch or so above, working as a tourniquet. The growing red circle on her bandage slowed to a near stop. He stuck the dagger back in its place. The soggy clothes were still lying to the side, and Angel was in no more immediate danger. He had to make haste back to the lair with her. Donatello was home for the night, and would be able to take better care of her.

To his knowledge, the nearest man hole cover was in the middle of the street. That was the sort of risk he never took. But under the circumstances, deserted street, some broken lamp lights, the girl. He hardly thought twice about it, and later thought of himself badly. The coat was still the best remaining cover, and he helped her back into it. The sweatshirt couldn't be left behind either, with all the tell tale blood. The rest of the mess would have to be taken care of later, if at all. A few stray splatter marks were really of little consequence beside the smeared puddle of human blood still wet.

Raising Angel to her feet, Leonardo walked her to the end of the alley. There he could see into the street, and spot the manhole cover. Leaning against the wall, Angel watched as he darted away, weaving through the maze of the darkest shadows. Her hands suctioned to the walls, like props to keep her from sliding back to the ground. Hair fell over her face, resting against her beak like sympathetic feathers. 

The feeling of his hands on her arm stayed. He was so warm. It had been so long since she was warm like that, and simply being near it again lulled her like nothing else. But she still had to remain on the alert. Her edginess was what had kept her alive and walking this long.

Leonardo returned and took her arm. They retraced the path he had taken, his arm closing around her waist to keep her moving quickly. At the open manhole they stopped and Leonardo knelt down. Angel had retained enough strength to stay standing for the time being. He dropped down, into the sewer pipe and motioned for her to follow. She was far from caring where he leading, and knelt down, observing the ladder rungs built into the cement of the pipe down. Turning, placing one foot on a rung, she lowered herself into the bowels of the city. Her arm still did not like being stressed, and she refrained from using it, climbing instead single handedly as she had been familiar with. His hands clasped her waist to guide her down superfluously.

She held one of the rungs as he climbed back up, and settled her eyes on her decimated sweatshirt lying askew in the gray-green water. Standing on the safe edge, she didn't feel like going in after it, and walking through god knows what for the dime-a-dozen salvation-army wear. Instead she looked down the length of the pipe, to whichever direction she thought be heading. The sewer was taller than she thought it would be, letting her stand easily without hunching over. Of course it smelled god awfully. And was dark as death. The pale moonlight which had been illuminating the pipe rapidly cut out, with the sound of old scraping metal. 

Leonardo climbed down the rungs and took Angel again by the arm, with one around her waist to stop her from sinking. Giving her only a basic sketch down, he had her following him complaintless through the black sewers. He knew them as well as she knew _her_ old neighborhood, and navigated the darkness well, warning her of low hanging pipes and ground debris where his adjusted eyes caught them, for he supposed hers would not. He found his way to the main tunnels and headed for home. Angel needed less of the support than what he gave, but didn't protest. She didn't like feeling close to him all the same. It was much too easy. Of course Leonardo hardly knew that. He thought entirely that he was guiding her step, when really it was a fresh adrenaline rush that kept her moving.

"……………………..what's your name?" He felt as though he were swimming in a foreign lake, and began searching for it's limitations, moving slowly.

"What's yours." She answered. Leonardo smiled in the dark, appreciating coyness. Or a response for that matter.

"Leonardo." He tamed his bravado. His name sounded bold in the claustrophobia of the sewers. It often sounded that way in the open too. He sensed her nodding beside him, and before he could reask, they were at the lair door. He would have to wait until later. 

Pushing the wall with one hand, second brick up to the left of dead center, it swung effortlessly upon the special hinged piping. He could see inside, like looking into a house from a dark street. The lamp lights and the kitchen were on. The place was a mess, but it obviously couldn't be helped now.

Angel let herself be lead in, her eyes pausing on the second turtle of the evening. He had peeked out of the kitchen to see who was entering so late, clearly expecting someone else, and had stayed dumbstruck looking at her. As though he were a mere photograph of a shocked moment in time. She felt her cheeks and beak heat under the stare that then made herself feel extremely stupid. "Get Don." Leonardo said simply.

They traveled through the grounded apartment, making a beeline for a room near the back. The lights were off inside and as soon as they were turned on the fluorescence overpowered the whiteness of the walls. Angel shielded her eyes, and when she looked back up again her eyes settled on the sterile white cot that seemed to be the focal point of the room. Counters nearby were both organized and cluttered with hospital and pharmaceutical supplies. Panicked, she turned to escape. Leonardo snatched her arms, blocking her way as well as subduing her flight attempts. She struggled, about to get the knife, or swing at him-

"_It's ok, it's ok! We're just going to fix your arm, **that all**, I **swear**_!" She wrestled out of his arms, backing up into the room. A second turtle had appeared behind him, again with the photo appearance. Coming from either her presence, or outburst, but probably both. She could tell this was a new man-turtle from the one she had seen earlier. Leonardo stayed to see she had calmed, with the knowledge that she was unable to put up a safe fight in her condition. Once she seemed acquiescent, but still suspicious, he moved her to the cot and cajoled her into sitting down. She seemed wary, so he stayed as Donatello began removing the bandages and setting to work. After a few minutes she was quiet and distracted enough for him to leave her.

Michelangelo was waiting outside for him. His brown eyes bubbling with shock, excitement, and disbelief. Many forbidden ideas and fantasies coming to fruition simply by her presence. "What the hell was that." His raging 'emotions' were thinly veiled in his inquiry. Leo knew what was going though his mind though, heading for the kitchen. He gave a straight run-down of the past half-hour, throwing out any of his own commentary. As always, his own thoughts had to be settled before he would speak about them. 

Michelangelo was the complete opposite. He spouted his lines of thoughts like poetry, jumbled and messy. Most of it was jargon; Mike wrestling unconsciously, as each part of his self was recognizing new thoughts, and trying to reorganizing. Leonardo leaned back and let his brother think outloud, quietly musing to himself.

A few minutes later Donatello came out of the lab, guiding their guest with him. Leo and Mike stopped, watching with a hidden, or for Mike an obvious, fascination. Don led her to the phone and bowed out, joining them quickly. Like Leo, he saved his thoughts for last.

"She's got a pretty bad bullet wound, I'd say .45 caliber. There was also a laceration on her right thigh. I put a bandage on it, it'll be fine." He nodded to no one in particular. "Now, do you want the good news first, or bad?" 

"Good." Mike said mechanically.

"The good news _is_, it passed all the way through. No bullet to pull out. It'll take some time to heal though, but she can make a full recovery." He looked into his hands, as if he had written his notes on the inside of his palm. Mike nodded and glanced once over Don's shoulder, at the figure by the phone. "The bad news, she needs a blood transfusion bad." He frowned. "She won't let me get near her with a needle." Leonardo nodded. He noticed she had hung up the phone, and ventured out. She ran her five fingers through her hair, and he watched as her hand shook. He might have a better rapport with her than Don.

"… Hey, we were thinking that-" That a blood transfusion would be a good idea. Before he could finish though, she was falling into him. Fortunately he was close enough to catch her, but it looked akward still, even without a full fall. A tumble of grace and blond hair down to a heap. Mike and Don were beside him momentarily, their eyes wide. "She feinted." He said quietly, lifting her into his arms.

"Better put her in bed."

"……Yeah, mine." Mike smirked.

~~


	3. Mercy

~A.N. Sorry for the delay in chapters. Between finals, graduation, and work there hasn't been much time for it. But there is now, and the next chapter of 'the 'lost girls' will be out shortly, with more of the ninja turtles than these characters you don't know yet. And as a side note, anyone who wouldn't mind doing some beta-testing on this (or frankly, _any_) story, I am always looking for someone. Please e-mail me at sara_ni_sasami@yahoo.com. Thnx!

Mercy~

The clerk was distracted.

            After eighteen weeks we had finally made a science out of it. One would stay by the checkout, rifling the magazines or candy, keeping the clerk's eyes otherwise employed while another took 'discounts' farther back in the store. Tonight it was me and Hope. She was a great distraction. Together, we were unstoppable. :D

            I slid a box of devil dogs into my coat as I turned down the isle. We had been hitting the minimarts and gas stations in a ten block area. Although we only shopped once or twice a week, we sensed people catching on, and had to go out of the neighborhood from time to time to break up the patterns. It was fool proof. By now my pockets were full. There was one last compartment inside my jacket, in which I dropped a loaf of bread. We ate a lot of junk because that was the easiest to filch. Because of it - real food had become treat a treat. With the peanut butter and strawberry jelly we already had, we could now make some sandwiches.

            I caught Hope's eye from the end of the isle, and she snatched a magazine from the rack. It startled the clerk, and I walked out beside another patron who was leaving. I could hear Hope's cheerful voice teasing.

            "How much is this!" The door jangled as it closed after me, and I went to the corner to wait. "Can I have it for free if I show you my boobs!" Out of the shop, I started to laugh. Of all of us, Hope was the most ostentatious, and was blaringly funny when she had a mind to be. Which was apparently now. She would never try to pull that stuff with Angel around. Merely the suggestion of removing a piece of protective clothing would have upset her. I wasn't that worried though. 

            Hope joined me a few moments later, the magazine back safely in the rack. We both laughed. It was great being out together. Or just out for that matter. During the day we were always hole up at our hide-out, these weeks an abandoned factory, and couldn't get out for any exercise or fun. All we did was read or watch television on a mini TV found at a junk yard. No cable, but there was a VCR and we had videos.

            At night was when we could roam. It was also when all the wierdos came out. But I guess we fit the description too. Oh well. Hope pulled a package of dig-dongs from my pocket and tore it open. We were coming under a street lamp and I pulled her hat down farther as she passed underneath, just in case. It was hard to find hats that would stay on our heads now. Hope's was clearly too small, but she liked it anyway. One hand jamming the ding-dong in her mouth, she whined and swatted me away, her eyes furrowed with a playful indignation. I sighed and smiled, nudging her closer to the edge of the sidewalk.

            "_Hey!" She called out of her ding-donged mouth. "__Stop that!" I laughingly traipsed ahead of her, bulked down by food but somehow still ahead. I heard her trash talking behind me. With any luck, she would continue on it home. She still deserved a pillow thrashing from last time, which I could not begin out in the open._

            I was thinking along this line when we were suddenly stopped. Coming to an end of a block, at least five black clad men jumped out from behind the building corner. We shrieked at their brandished weapons. Short swords and staffs. Each and all glaring at us, but temporarily frozen. My heart stopped in my chest, and my mind went numb. 

What were we to _do? The regular clickings of my mind that would've brought some actual __thought process were absent. Just the sight of these men knocked every sense from my head, just like an animal caught in a headlight. A turtle. Hope was frozen solid._

            The men looked between us. They looked to each other. They looked at our chests, then at us. Their weapons were still raised, although they themselves seemed to be lowering. The ten seconds it took for them to look all about had seemed to protract into hours. With the same numbness, I watched them back away. One bowed his masked head briefly before vanishing as strangely as they had arrived. And we were left alone. Completely unscathed. Hope said nothing, but I knew she had covered over her lively spirit with something else. Unsure of what was to be done next, I made a suggestion.

            "Let's go." Hope nodded, and we trotted off. As soon as possible we left the dark by streets for something well lit. We hardly spoke, and only thought of getting home. My senses were on overdrive as I tried to see if the men were following us. From their awkward departure I would guess not, but the threat still trailed after us. Hope stayed close beside me like a lost puppy. 

            "Do you think they're after us?" She hissed.

            "I don't know… Let's go faster." We picked up to a sprint, ducking below the street shadows. The load of food now seemed burdensome, when I wanted a getaway. I struggled back mental pictures of all sorts as we closed in on the warehouse. The dilapidated structures offered solace, and the impression of sanctuary. A façade. 

            We ducked into the metal utility door, propped open in the alley by a collapsed boot. From the broken lamps in the street, we sunk into the depths of the cavernous house. Darkness enveloped us like a familiar blanket. We weaved through the maze of forgotten boxes, across to the far office that was tucked into the corner. Pale moonlight through the shattered window holes illuminated the gray floor. We skirted the edges of  fluorescence.

            The office door, dingy with neglect, was ajar. We sunk inside, and hurried to the matressed corner. The form bundled in bed sheets looked up from a dog-eared magazine. I dumped my coat on the ground, Hope joined Bliss after shedding her cover, and huddled into a safe pair.

            "What is it?" Bliss asked as I crawled into the corner with them. Hope waited for me to explain about the men, and I shakily did. Our brief encounter with danger had a delayed reaction, but instead of fear, I felt anxious, and bundled close with my girlfriends. Bliss' eyes grew apprehensive. But our presence had assuaged her before she had ever reached the same dread that we had just felt. Amongst ourselves, we were comfortable and safe again. Hope settled into the nest of blankets and began pushing the event from her mind. I grabbed the box of devil dogs and pulled one of the sheets over me, cutting out the damp and musky drafts.

            "Where's Angel?" In her absence, I expected her to have been wandering in the shadows somewhere. But we had been back nearly ten minutes and she hadn't shown up.

            "I thought she was with you?" Bliss tossed another plastic wrapper aside.

            "Nooo…" Looking into the deeper depths of the warehouse, I struggled to make some outline, some shadow out of place from Angel acting weird. It wouldn't be out of the question that Bliss had missed Angel's presence. She often became wrapped up in her own romantic fantasies when no one was nearby. Imagination was the one humanity we had left. But I didn't sense Angel anywhere in the building. She had a unique spiritual signature, it was something I could detect, and she wasn't here. "Did you check the service?" We still had use of a message service, at least we would for the next few weeks until it was canceled. Angel had urged us to leave messages if we were ever in a jam, or needed to get in contact. Anything really, since we weren't being billed.

            Bliss tilted over, leaning to grab the cell phone from her bag of things. She swallowed down the rest of the chocolate and turned the phone on with a touch of her long thin finger. The glow made her face look all the more green, with a hollow glow. Hope had stopped dining as well and watched Bliss call into the service. She put the phone to her ear, and we could all hear the quiet feminine voice from the other end. Bliss's face contorted questionablely. Not changing her puzzled expression, she pushed the key pad and handed me the phone. Something I had to hear for myself then.

            "Hey, it's me." The voice in my ear was tired, worn and wearied. "I'm… alright. I guess." Hope had crawled closer to me, tilting her head to hear better. "I've just met some people. They're… like us." Her voice fumbled. _What does she mean, like us? "I'll, uh… be back as soon as I can. You don't need to worry. Um… bye." Short and to the point. The phone service beeped to signal the end of the message, and proceeded to ask if I wanted to hear it over again. I had to admit, I wanted to hear more about that 'people like us' comment. Was that supposed to be cryptic?_

            Either way, there was no way to find out now. She had left no number or address . All we could do was wait for her to come back, or call again. That didn't sit well. Not with those crazy weapon wielding men out there. I turned the phone off and set it back in its bag. Hope huddled closer to me and we exchanged worried expressions.

            "What was that about? Where is she?" Bliss asked. As if we knew.

            "Let's just…" I began. They both silenced in a way I hadn't heard before. "…wait until morning." Angel said she'd be back. But something sounded wrong. None the less, Hope and Bliss both settled back into the mattress. I took a twizzler and drew a sheet over my shoulders. Now was the waiting game.

            It was closing in on dawn when I couldn't wait any longer. The sun was almost an hour away, we were running out of time. Hope's eyes had become sunken by this point. I wish she had slept and let me worry alone. But her wakefulness represented something, I thought. Unity, something nice like that. I was proud. Maybe things _could work out._

            We started pulling on layers and I roused Bliss. She had been up all day, and we had to help get her ready. Dolled up in jeans, sweaters, overcoats, hats, kiddie gloves, and boots; we were on our way out twenty minutes later, pulling Bliss's hat over her head. The dusk before light was like a filter over the city. Still cool, but with the promise of warming up. We took the alley out to the street. Then down in the direction Bliss thought she had seen our missing friend leave in. _Where are you… Angel… There was one of our old stays ten or so blocks in that direction, so we would head straight for it. Hopefully avoiding anymore sword wielding maniacs. So I felt bad for us when my senses started to draw me away from the straight and narrow._

            It was like a tugging, telling me we was going the wrong way. I slowed and looked down the side street I was being directed towards. 

            "This way." I took Hope by the elbow and guided her across the street. Although she followed obediently, I could feel her trepidation through my fingers. But I had to move past the feeling in order to keep a bead on the directions I was receiving. Down the street, and through an alley onto a street I wasn't familiar with. Hope was pulling back, trailing with sleepy Bliss, but I could feel the guide moving on, and I pulled her ahead with me to follow. We hurried down the sidewalk, catching a few curious eyes from open windows. Heavily cloaked girls with hats and gloves in August, making an awkward jog down the street. I ignored the looks.

            "Wait….here." I felt the guide change. It was no longer leading, and now only pervading emotions were left. They were new and strong, and so many that they confused my mind. But I understood where they were coming from, and went right into the alley.

            We were only in a few steps when I got a good look at the scene, and stopped us all. There was a lot of dry blood on the ground, puddled and streaked, beside a spray of bullets. Fear, urgency, lots of violence. And Angel. Angel most definitely was here. She was hurt, but she wasn't the only one. I felt the ghost of her spirit circling in the alley, in the whirlwind of emotions. I felt her the strongest, a deep impression of her had been left. So deep that I suspect that it also recognized me. Something serious had happened, and she wanted me with her, she didn't know her future. Her pain gave her spirit a focus, and I had to step back to keep my mind clear.

            My foot stepped into something firm that immediately collapsed under the weight. I stepped aside again and raised my foot, bringing a fedora hat with it. I recognized it as Angel's, with the nick in the side. The hole through the center worried me though. But at the same time I was sure she was alive.

            Hope, however, was doing everything to keep from screaming her head off. I grabbed one of the hands clamped over her mouth, and carted her away. Angel was dissipating, and I worried that I couldn't follow her anymore. But true to form, the haunting guided me out of the alley.

            "Where are we _going." Bliss tightened her coat around her, glancing anxiously at the open street we were on. She and Hope followed me down the sidewalk. I was glad to have their support, and didn't have to explain myself. Not as though I could explain things to __myself alone. We walked into the street, but there was no physical trail left there. I still felt the trace of her though, and followed it. It lead through the streets. We crossed alleys, and snuck through some broken buildings just to keep in line. While I didn't exactly question my senses, I did begin wondering about the source. Where did Angel think she was going?_

            "Where the hell was she going?" I murmured. Something was wrong with the lead. As we came across an undeveloped plot between two battered buildings, an idea struck me. We were traveling on the wrong level. The trail was confused because we had been too far above the real path. "Oh god no." I eyed the rusty rim of the sewer pipe. It jutted out from the sunken side of the plot, beckoning mockingly. Hope and Bliss caught my line of sight when I stopped, and shared my… concerns.

            "No way." Bliss outright refused belief.

            "Grooooooss." Hope cringed. But I was now sure that that was were Angel had gone. It was the 'why' that worried me. Why had she gone into sewers? Had she been escaping something, or had someone dragged her body down? I put that thought out of my mind.

            "You guys want to go back?" They didn't respond. Of course they wanted to. But it was worrisome that Angel had been gone so long without telling someone. And that we had been lead to some place like a sewer trying to find her. They looked around cautiously, giving their assent. I stepped onto the slant of a wall that dipped into the lot, and slid down. Hope and Bliss followed until we all stumbled onto the ground level. Construction equipment was littered around, and we had to weave through to reach the open pipe. We all wrinkled our beaks, and I clasped my hands around the sharp rim. Middle of the night, and we were crawling into the plumbing of New York; there was no god.


	4. Love is a battlefield

~~

She slept with her mouth open. Lips parted, taking shallow breaths. Her chest rose and fell, like ocean swells and the blanket carried the wave as though it were the glove of some classic composer. The sketch was turning out well. Mike switched pencils, and dashed in texture to the blanket, giving shadow just beside where her arms crossed over. As she lay there in Donatello's bed, he avariciously memorized every quality and characteristic, so he could replay them over and over in his dreams. The sketch he had begun to focus his mind had become quite nice. The girl looked gentle and natural in sleep, the bitter edges of fear and mistrust she had shown earlier smoothed away. Although there was some very becoming quality he could not get on the paper, an essence, or a feeling of spirit that eluded his pencil.

            Mike sat on the stool beside Don's bureau, eyes on the bed directly across from him. He drew by the dimmed lamp light, and shifted his weight with a grimace wishing there was a cushion for his sore behind. Between that and the sleep he was doing without to sit watch on the stranger, he should have been suffering, but those thoughts were far from his mind, especially with such a pretty subject for his pencil.

            A curling of the fine green fingers drew him up from the memo pad. The girl was beginning to stir, her head turning on the deflated pillow. He pressed his sketchbook to his lap so he could watch the tips of her golden straw hair drag over the delicate curve of her collarbones as she turned her head his way. Hastily signing his name to the bottom off the pad, Mike stood up and went to her side. Breakfast would have to be started soon, his brothers would be bellowing and haranguing for food, none of them being able to find their way around the kitchen, never mind making anything remotely edible. Leo would be coming in to stay with her soon. Mike was glad he got to watch her wake up on his shift.

Sleepy blue eyes peeked at his thigh. They raised up to his face, and he broke into a wide grin. The emerald skin, blue topaz eyes, and golden tinted waves of hair were like a vision of a goddess to a dying man. His turtley senses were tingling. The goofy smile plastered on his face had to be pulled back as her eyes widened with consciousness. He felt the urge to curl her hair around his fingers, and feel the silky strands across his palm.

            "Um… Hello." His voice came deeper than he had anticipated, but at least it hadn't broken. "Feel little better?" It returned to normal though. She blinked slowly and squinted in the dim light. Reaching back, Mike turned up the lamp a bit brighter. The pinstripes on the wallpaper emerged out of beige blur. Her eyes flickered down to the pad that Mike still held, and she touched it gently, fingers tipping it her way so she could see what he had drawn.  He looked at her face, and then he looked away quickly.  He was embarrassed for not having closed the paper over, or hidden it from view. His cheeks paled, his lips curving into a cautious smile as he glanced back in her direction. "Eh, heh. Just passin' time, you know."

"It's not bad…" She said quietly, almost a whisper. He broke into a gigantic grin again at her humble praising. Her hand fell back to the blanket and he set the pad back on the bureau. The muffled sound of footsteps over throw rugs in the hall grew as someone emerged from one of the rooms farther down the line. They would be rummaging around for breakfast soon. Likely disturbing the pint of ice cream he had been hoarding in the back of the freezer in the process.

"Uh oh…" He glanced at the door. "Yooou, just rest here. I'm gunna have to start some breakfast. Kay?" The sleepy but cognizant look he received gave him no reason to stay, so he reluctantly left, slipping through the periodic-table postered door. Don's enterprising hunt could be heard in the clinks and clanks from the refrigerator, and he stepped up his way to the kitchen.

            Examining the ceiling, Angel clawed her way back to consciousness. Her memories were one of the first things to return to her, especially when she had been faced with another turtle man. Her faculties were reluctant to follow. A sculpture with no aperture, she lolled her head from side to side, drawing her body out of it's apathy. _He said breakfast? How long was she out? How had she gotten in the bedroom? One thing she __was certain of, was these were the most comfortable sheets she had slept in. They smelled clean and fresh and felt like Egyptian cotton. Someone had worked hard for this bed, was well in tune with their own comfort. They had stayed awake purposefully and read. No, studied. Sciences and math. Sometimes a literary treat. Not the same one as who had left, had done the drawing. It was… Don, Donatello. The doctor. She appreciated his taste._

            Yet another pair of eyes were on her this morning. The door was behind her head, she let her head fall to the side and strained to raise it. A figure had paused just outside the doorframe. The wooden expression was trained on her, devoid of any emotion. This was a new turtle man… again. Where are they all coming from?  How many are there? Unlike the others, this one just watched her. _Quietly. His eyes were dark, like rich black soil, given a fiery lighting by the red bandana he wore. She watched him a little longer, maybe it wasn't the bandana that was adding the fire to his eyes. Underneath the quiet, this one __burned._

Raphael was stunned to the floor, just short of passing to his room, where he intended to sleep. Seeing Mike leaving Don's room with dark circles under his eyes, he thought someone had become seriously sick while he was gone. But the body in bed, was much too small to be one of his brothers. Fine tapered arms, instead of massive muscled ones, narrow shoulders, and locks of blond hair. It was a girl, but, it was a _turtle all the same._

            Raphael stood in awe. His mouth would be agape, but doing so would require movement. And viewing this new creature consumed all his mind power. When her blue eyes turned up at him, a hot sword pierced his heart. Their eyes remained locked a little longer than what would be considered chaste. 

The guilt over his brothers' sickness passed, and he stepped farther into the room. Angel struggled to push herself up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Her low blood count raced to circulate and she had to prop herself up with her hands beside her thighs. Her breath came out raggedly, she closed her eyes to shut out the overwhelming dizziness that dropped over her.

            "Y'ok?" Stepping forward, Raphael offered a hand.

            "I think I'm going to puke." The plastic trash can, which was resting behind the headboard of the bed, was retrieved. Angel took it gratefully and placed it between her knees, doubling over. Her stomach was nearly empty from haven't had eaten since the previous afternoon.  She vomited a drippy run of yellow stomach acid. Body shaken by the total upsurge, Angel dropped to her knees, spitting the distaste from her mouth. Panting and setting the can aside, a pair of hands soon came and lifted her off the floor. Raphael eased her onto the bed, drawing her legs up onto the mattress. 

            "Just rest." He pulled the blanket back over her legs. Allowing herself to collapse briefly, Angel dropped her head back in the pillow. She had pushed herself too far too fast.

            "Thank you." She said quietly. Raphael nodded and pushed the trash

 out of the way with his foot. "…who…are you?"

            "Raphael." He almost missed the faint motion of her hand raising. Taking it first in one, then in both hands, he thought it needed to be warmer. He could see her eyes were struggling to stay open, and laid her hand to rest over her stomach, slightly awed by his own daring.

            "Angel…" She let her eyelids fall closed. The years of polished pleasantries sunk back below the surface as she returned to a light rest. Pulling the blanket up a little farther, Raphael watched her rest. Her eyes were visibly sore, red veined and puffy. He thought briefly to caress them better, than backed out of the room, too much, too soon. She should have some water to wash the nastiness out of her mouth. 

            In the kitchen, Mike glared at Don, who was pleasantly spooning away at a pint of frost bitten ice cream. Hand pausing in the open box of corn chex, Mike stared at Raphael.

            "You're back." Raphael nodded. 

            "Something you want to tell me?" He waited a moment before crossing around the table. "Huh, Mike?"

            "Ho, uhm. Lemme think."

            "Don't try too hard." Don set his spoon in the tub, his eyes still on Raphael's as he took a glass down from the cabinet. "So you saw her?" Mike cut in, nearly slamming the box of frosted flakes on the table. 

"_Isn't she just…Grr-**RAH!"  His eyes flamed with boyish glee. The toothy grin was worthy of a smiling Labrador. "She smells like candy."**_

            "Shut the fuck up, Mike." Raph retrieved a glass and went to the sink. "Yeah I saw her. How long has she been here." Don dragged his spoon around the ice cream tub.

            "Well, Leo brought her in last night. He says he found her after a fight. She needed medical services-"

            "Don serviced her." Mike added.

            "So we bandaged her up and, _hey!" Don smacked Mike's domed head. "Will you shut up, dope." _

            "She's hurt?" Filling the glass with cold water, Raph looked over his shoulder at his brothers. Nodding, Don expanded on his point.

            "A gunshot in the arm. She's lost a fair amount of blood, which is why she's still out."

            "Oh no, she's awake." Mike corrected, digging back into the cereal box. "A little quiet, but definitely awake. That's my diagnosis."

            "Yeah, she's up." Dropping a pair of ice cubes in the glass, Raphael agreed. 

            "You _spoke to her?" A weird undercurrent traveled through Don's veins, as if experiencing a first impression of Raph himself. His brother had never been good with new people. But for Don, that was a very good thing. _

            "Did she say she liked me?" Mike's eyes glittered. Raphael glared at him.

            "She said you should stick a thumb up your ass."

            "Guys-" Don's stern tone dampered them temporarily, just as Leo and Angel appeared. Still pale, she leaned on Leonardo's offered arm as if she were reclining on a window sill. A reverent silence filled the kitchen, like the entrance of a queen. Of sorts. Mike crammed the handful of cereal in his mouth and swallowed it down, hardly chewing, as Leo guided their guest in and pulled out a chair. Don lowered the ice cream, pushing the spoon farther inside. "Are you feeling better?" She lowered herself into the seat, bracing with one hand against the tabletop. "Was the bed comfortable enough?" _Geez, don't talk about beds with **her!**_

            "Yes, very." She offered a weak but appreciative smile. It was the first smile she had given in their presence, and he tried not to grin like an idiot. A feat which Michelangelo did not bother with.

            "Would you like something to eat?" Leonardo went to the kitchen counters, Mike quickly clearing out of the way. "We have some fruit?"

            "Thank you, yes." She accepted the large whole peach from his hand, wrapping her fingers around it to hold it close to her. Raphael set the glass of water in front of her and she smiled. "Thank you… Raphael?" He nodded and stepped back.

            "Is there anything else we can get you?" Leo asked.

            "No, this is fine, thank you very much." She took a tentative sip from the glass. It took her a moment to clear her throat, then set the glass back down. Mike had taken the seat beside her by this point, and Leo sat down across from her, placing the basket of fruit to the side.

            "So what's your name?" Mike's composure began to return. "Mine's Michelangelo. You can call me Mike."

            "I'm Angel."

            "This is Leo, Don, and you know Raph."

            "It's nice to meet you."

            "Nice to meet _you." The corner of Mike's mouth twitched in embarrassment for having accentuated his eagerness again. He could see Don's eyes do a half roll._

            "Go ahead, eat." Leonardo urged. She smiled and raised the peach to her mouth, biting into it deep. Mike reached across and grabbed an apple, crunching loudly. Resuming his ice cream, Don watched as Mike and Angel finished their fruit. The five fingers, the hair, eye brows. While their lips were smooth, hers had the human pout. His curiosity overpowered his appetite and he closed the tub up. Angel gnawed the last piece of meat from the seed and licked the juices from her lips. The apple was still in the process of being chewed, fortunately keeping Mike's mouth closed for once.  Inclining forward only slightly, Leonardo matched her eyes.

            "So where are you from, Angel?" His face turned thoughtful. The rhythmic crunching of Mike's breakfast suddenly paused. 

            "Connecticut. Mystic Connecticut."

            "You have a lot of fortune tellers in Connecticut?" Mike smirked.

            "It's the name of the town." Don explained.

            "So, you live in Connecticut. It's a long way to Manhattan." Drawing attention away from goofball Mike, Leo caught Angel's eyes back.

            "Lived. We _moved to Manhattan."_

            "You moved… _We?" Four pairs of eyes quirked._

            "Yes. We weren't exactly…" She raised her hands below the table, her eyes dipping to their green fingers . "Inconspicuous," Her sight returned to Leonardo after a moment. "In Mystic. We moved here to hide out… My friends and I."

            "Your _friends?" Donatello's inquisitive nature beat Mike and Leo to the punch. She nodded to the table._

            "Are they… turtles too?" Leo prompted.

            "Yes." She nodded. "We're all like this."

            "And so you moved here because, things were getting too hot at home?" He postulated.

            "Yes. We left  before things got 'too hot.'" Her eyes switched from brother to brother. "We weren't always like this." She explained. "Not until recently that is." Silenced answered her, like a call to continue. She knew she would have to confess her story sometime soon. "We worked at a research facility this summer… That is, until _we became the research subjects."_

            "_You became research subjects?" Mike scowled._

            "Well, we went to work for a company that worked on some cutting edge research for private organizations, that sort of stuff. Part time work, we just filled in for some people who had the summer off. 

            "Two months into it we were summoned to one of the department head's office. It wasn't our department, but we went anyway. Genetic research. They said they needed some more help with a project. That our supervisor approved it." She scratched her chin. "_We wanted to think about it. __They… got out the rags of ether." Three breaths took in indistinguishablely. Their unspoken fears froze their hearts cold with the mere mention of an ether rag. Raphael's eyes hardened, his crossed arms tightening over his chest. "We were there for a good week." She looked aside, pausing. The memories returned too easily. Closing her eyes to them only made it worse. Looking at the four young men she could see the pain in their eyes. They related to her, and it was oddly comforting. Even so, she didn't feel up to dredging the horrific memories of her metamorphosis. Not now._

            "A group of human rights activists broke into the lab and rescued us. They weren't quite sure what to make of us mind you, but we weren't human, and for some reason that was enough for then to want to help.  After that we decided to come here. We couldn't stay at home. The activists gave us a ride into NYC, and we've been staying in warehouse type places since we arrived… that's the short of it." She shrugged. Mike rubbed his shoulder, feeling the urge to dispense a hug. Before he could explore the possibility, Leonardo's hand reached across the table, resting on Angel's wrist. She looked up at him, their eyes locking. 

_Oh. Mike thought.__ So that's it. He should have seen it before, as his brother and their pretty guest shared a quiet moment. __Damn. He felt a simmering of jealousy, but it stayed low at a bubbling. It wasn't as if they were saying their vows. Then again, Leo __did get everything he wanted. __Damnit Leo, why did you have to see her first._

            "That's… terrible." Don offered awkwardly.

            "Yeah." Mike added. Angel nodded.

            "Thanks." She drew her hand back and pushed the hair away from her face. Clearing his throat, Leo pulled his hand back too. "So are you from the city?" 

            "Yeah." 

            "In a manner of speaking." Don stipulated. "We were born in a reptile farm somewhere of out the city. But we grew up here, in these sewers."

            "Yeah, we were like little turtles," Mike began. "but we were dropped down the sewers into some radioactive gunk. That turned us into super-sized turtles."

            "The ooze increased our brain capacity as well as bone and organ structure. You could say that we went from turtle to human." Don added. "Well… not completely human."

            "But enough. It changed our Master too."

            "Master?" She questioned. Leonardo nodded.

            "Master Splinter. He was a rat that changed like us. He raised us, and trained us in ninjitsu, so we could defend ourselves. He was a very wise man." The brothers nodded. "He died this past year."

            "I'm… sorry… It must be very hard… losing someone so important."

            "Yeah… Thanks." Mike said softly.

            "We appreciate it." Smiling smoothly, Leonardo pushed that time of his life out of his thoughts. No one really needed that brought up again. "What about your family." He asked quietly. "Do they know you're here?" She shook her head. "Do they know anything." Again, she shook her head.

            "I couldn't do that to them." Leonardo frowned at this. "Turn their world upside down… Then put it in a blender."

            "So they think you're dead." Mike noted, catching Angel's eyes. They looked at each other for a few moments. She nodded. While he wanted to talk more about her family, her eyes communicated '_Don't even try.' The color had begun returning to her pale face, likewise her disposition. Once Mike sucked in his lips, as if pulling the words back into his mouth, Angel looked away. Towards the back wall by chance. She gasped._

            "Oh my god, it's so late." Pressing her palms against the tabletop, she raised herself up. The clock was reading ten to seven. "There are people worried about me." Leonardo stood up also, pushing his seat back. As if to block her view to the clock. "I have to leave."

            "I don't think that's such a good idea." He came around the table as she began to extract herself from the chair, Mike returning to his feet as well. "You still don't look too hot."

            "It doesn't matter.  I have to get back." She dropped the peach pit in the nearby trash and looked up at Leonardo, who had appeared beside her. "I told them I'd be back a long time ago."

            "You shouldn't be walking around in your state anyway. It'll just make you tired." Donatello said, coming around the table from the refrigerator. He didn't like the thought of her passing out again, out there in the cold.

            "I think the best course of action is for you to spend the day here." Leo informed, rather than suggested, his hand resting on her shoulder. She glanced at it, only to see if he was actually leaving his hand there, then back up at him. From their first meeting she sensed that Leonardo was not someone to disagree with. He weilded many forms of power, not the least of which was physical. It was wise to placate him, but she would not let him hold her there. A little light headedness wouldn't keep her from returning to her friends.

            "I'm sorry. But it's really not up to you." She said as tactfully as possible. His eye ridge began to lower, his hand leaving her shoulder. _Diplomacy, dear. She reminded herself. "So come with me… you can meet my friends." A bad idea turned much more feasible. They could help Angel home, in case anything happened, and meet these other mutant turtles. The full concept struck each of the brothers at nearly the same time, all looking to Leonardo for what would no doubt be a final say. After catching the direction of the younger brothers' vision, Angel looked up at Leonardo. "…Well?"_

            "Alright."

            "Al_right." Mike whispered._

            "We'll get our gear on," Leo said, in the same matter as 'we are getting our gear on.' Informing his brothers to move their butts. "Don?" The three exited the kitchen, dispersing into the lair, and leaving Leo and Angel. "We'll go now, if that's what your asking."

            "Yes, thank you." She heard the opening of doors, and rustling from the caverns of the turtles' home. "I shouldn't have been out so long."

            "It wasn't your fault."

            "Probably." She answered. Just then, Donatello emerged from the back, clothes hung over his arm.

            "We washed your things." He handed Leo the coat and torn sweatshirt, which had been retrieved from the sewer some time in the night. "Hope you don't mind."

            "_No, of course not. Thank you." Don smiled. "I haven't washed these clothes in a long time. I must smell terrible." She pulled at the hem of her shirt, taking a second look at an old stain. It was too bad she wasn't wearing something nicer. She frowned._

            "Oh no, you smell great!" Don disputed. He waited a moment, under the eyes of Leo and Angel, his beak coloring. "I'm going to go over there now."  They watched him exit the kitchen, sheepishly making a bee-line for his room.

            "Don't worry about him, he's just a little nervous." Leo covered over his brother's tell tale erratic behavior.

            "I kind of figured. He's sweet though." Angel rubbed her arm gingerly. "A good doctor like-wise."

            "Yeah. Here."             Shaking the coat out, Leo held it out by the limp collar and shoulders. Angel turned and stepped back, easing her arms into the sleeves. "There."

            "Thank you." He straightened the lapels out, smoothing them down under his fingers and palms. Where his fingers left off, Angel slid her thumbs under the collar, turning around and adjusting her coat right. "I'm sorry… to cut introductions short."

            "That's alright… I hope that we can still see each other regardless." Turning blue eyes up at him, Angel regarded the modest Leonardo. She nodded, setting his mind to rest that she would disappear into the city from which she had emerged. He seemed pleased with her answer.

            "Leo, we rolling?" Mike came back to the kitchen, decked out in his trench, fedora, and mask.

            "Yeah." He accepted the coat and hat and headed to his room for his weapons. Never left home without them.

            "Feeling much better?" Mike queried. 

            "Yes, a little." 

            "Good." He grinned. "Maybe I could take you out for a recovery dinner anyways?"

            "Oh?"

            "You know, pizza, maybe catch a movie-"

            "_Mikey." Leo said sternly. He was coming back to the kitchen, sheathing his swords._

            "Heh heh."

            "You forgot your 'chucks." The blades glinted silver as they slid back into place.  "So where are we taking you, Angel?" Her eyes followed Mike, exaggeratedly slinking out of the kitchen.

            "The old industrial section. On Bailey's." He nodded.

            "I think I know where that is." After pulling his coat on, Leo fit his hat on and held his arm out for her to take. "You ready."

            "Yeah, I am." Twining her arm through his, she walked out cautiously. Her own feet still seemed unwilling. Fortunately Leonardo's weren't. He guided her into the den, where Mike, Don, and Raph were joining.

            "Mike, get the lights." Opening the door, Leo glanced back at his brothers. Mike was mouthing his words back. He laughed when he saw Leo watching him. "Come on." They all filed into the sewer, closing the hidden door behind them.

            Flanking Angel's other side, Michelangelo sloshed through the gray green water. Don and Raph took up the rear. In the morning the sewers were spotted with light, broken up by the frequency of sidewalk grates above. They had quite enough time to absorb its dank smelly beauty, as Angel removed her arm from Leonardo to walk on her own, slowing the convoy.

            "Seriously, I can carry you. Or you know, wheel you, or you could sit on my bike…" Mike offered. Angel smiled.

            "I think it would be good for me to move around. But thank you."

            "Well, _anytime then. You need someone to carry you somewhere, keep me in mind." He grinned widely. "Like, if you need to be carried to a fancy __restaurant, for instance-"_

            "_Mikey!"_

            "_Angel!" A foreign voice silenced the turtles. Instinctually moving into the shadows, the boys watched as the three strangers appeared ahead of them and ventured forward. Only the brown hems of long coats caught the edge of surface lights as they walked along the sewer walkways. Pushing Leonardo's arm away, Angel stepped into the light._

            "_Mercy!" the three figures in cloaks emerged into a light puddle as well, clothed for winter. They tilted their faces up, squinting through the darkness. Green beaks glowed in the lights._


	5. Hope

Hope~ 

The place reeked. When we finally saw Angel down there I let out my breath in relief.  Breathing back _in almost knocked me on my ass. Reeling for a second, I shook the overpowering smell from my head._

            "_Mercy!" Angel stepped further into the light, which filtered down from one of the sidewalk grates above. She was alive, which was a huge relief. Running after Mercy, careful to avoid the icky debris along the walk, I collided with the incoming Angel, wrapping in with Mercy to a big embracing ball. She smelled mountain fresh, or gainfully clean. But we hadn't done laundry in weeks? Squealing, I squeezed our little group tight._

            "Angel, are you alright?" Mercy asked.

            "I'll be ok." Her voice was weaker than usual. We pulled back some, and I watched as Mercy laid her hands on Angel's arm. She held it gently, and I figured she was doing some psychic stuff. Her face was worried. "It'll heal."

            "Mmm."

            "Who did it? Are they-" I began to ask, just as I sensed the presence of other people down here. They had been laying in wait, and emerged into the shaft of light to attack us. Four tall men in coats and hats, big broad shoulders, huge boots. I screamed. Bliss screamed, ducking behind me. Mercy screamed then, running true to form, attacked. Leaping at the closest one, she knocked him down, thudding to the ground with her on top. She slapped and punched and swore up a storm. Following her lead, I charged the next closest creep.

            "_Yaa!" I shoved his shoulders, but it only pushed him back a step. "__Take this, you big jerk!" I shrilled. My fearsome slap attack seemed to stun him. "__Ya! Ya! Ya! EEEEEE!" Kicking his shin snapped him out of shock-_

            "Ow."

            "Yeah, you like that huh? Well than, try _this! __Uhn, uhn, uhn." I pummeled his chest with my fists. It was like punching a wall. My knuckles began hurting. But the only voice of protest I heard I ignored, it was useless to stop the torrents of my blows. I put my whole body into it. Pounding out the fear these people instilled. Then the anxiousness of the last six hours over Angel. I kicked his shins over again. There went the months of reading threats etched into the walls of countless public bathrooms. There was the heartache of leaving the home I loved. There was the dozens of needles perforating my arms. I didn't see Mercy withdraw, or the bewildered stares I was getting._

            "Hope, come on!" A firm tug on the back of my coat collar hauled me back from my hapless victim. I glanced back at the intervening party to see Angel, in a state somewhere between worry and bemusement. She pulled me away, back beside Mercy, who seemed disappointed she couldn't continue beating up the now sewer water soaked man who was being helped back to his feet. "It's ok, they're alright." Angel informed us.

            "Are you ok?" One of the men from the back touched my prey's shoulder. For the first time I look at him, I mean _really look at him._

            "I'm _great." The eyes behind the cheery orange mask had trained on me, his face smiling for some reason. His __green face. '__I've just met some people.__ They're… like us.' So this is what she meant. The four of them shifted into the light, and under closer scrutiny I could fully see the turtlely faces. They were wearing colored eye masks, which was good, because otherwise I don't think I could've told them apart._

            "Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello." And Italian to boot. Angel turned to introduce us. "Hope, Mercy, and Bliss." They greeted us. Michelangelo, the orange one, still grinned like he was putting his teeth on showcase. I could tell what _he was thinking. Apparently so could Bliss._

            "Hello." She said softly, stepping forward, looking up at them each from behind long lashes. Glancing back at the four turtle men, I saw them each shift a little. Back again to Bliss, the corner of her mouth raised.

            "We're glad to finally meet you." The purple one said. "You all look great." Seven heads turned as one to look at him. Even in the dim light we could see his face turn another shade. The red one gave him a shove.

            "Way to be stupid." The orange one, Michelangelo, added.

            "Angel told us what happened to you." The blue one said. The one Mercy had tried to strangle. "We're very sorry." _I'll bet they were. If this was all of them, I didn't see any ladies among them. Haha. "If you __ever need __anything… our doors are always open to you." We looked between each other. Was this guy for real? I think I was in love ^_^ It was sounding as though he would give us his right arm if we asked him for it._

            "Now that we're all together," Angel turned back to the males. "You won't need to escort me home."

            "Uh-" Leonardo started to protest. Mercy seemed unsure herself, although for other reasons, but with a look from Angel, silent information was exchanged, and she was comfortable again. Or at least as comfortable as Mercy got. She stepped between Angel and the advancing blue turtle. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off.

            "Thank you, for taking care of Angel." Was she smiling? "We were very worried, but she's alright now, thanks to you." I could actually hear her swallowing her pride. Angel, Bliss and I cringed. She was really taking one for the team doing this. _Way to go, Mercy. "And I'm sorry for trying to strangle you. I thought you were the one who had hurt Angel."_

            "Well, I guess that's understandable."

            "But now that she's safe, we should _really get back before anything else bad happens." She was really laying it on. I wish I had a camera. The blackmail revenue alone would have been worth it. ^o^ Mercy absolutely __hated guys. Proof of her actually smiling in a conversation with one would drive her insane. Especially since it looked like she was enjoying herself._

 Leonardo was nodding thoughtfully. This guy must've never talked to a girl before. She was hardly even flirting, and he was about to ask for her number. Dork. In spite of the weird circumstances, and smelly setting, I was enjoying sort of playing the boy game again. Finally there were boys that wouldn't run screaming away from us. With some more light, and less of those bulky coats and hats, maybe I could gauge their cuteness factor. I wonder how much being turtles would _change their cuteness? But that would come later. It was clear that Mercy and Angel were looking for a way out of the sewers right now. Alone._

            "So thank you, for all you've done. We're all very fortunate to meet you." She declared. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see each of us nodding in agreement. Like, _duh. Although I hadn't had time to compute everything, running into these guys seemed like it may be the best thing that happened to us since leaving Connecticut. We were damn fortunate._

            "Fortunate enough to meet us again?" Michelangelo piped up, still beaming from her last words.

            "I think once Angel is feeling better." As if by script, Angel had to lean on my arm, which was twined with hers. "So you can go back, and we can look after her now. There's a pipe back there that will lead us out, and we know where to go from there." The other guys all looked to Leonardo, who seemed to be the 'head honcho.' He thought for a long moment, gazing at Mercy. It seemed as though he may not even let us leave, so she brushed a shard of her short black hair out of her eyes, letting her hand rest just above her chest. It worked.

            "Alright. As long as you think you'll be alright." The three other guys didn't seem to like that. "Are you sure you don't want us to come with you? It's not always safe for us during the day time." Mercy looked back at me and Bliss. We didn't know where the weapon carrying men would show up again. And we didn't trust that fate would be that kind on our journey home. Mercy looked to Angel, and I could sense that they didn't trust these guys taking us home either. We had trusted a small business at home, and had our lives destroyed. We weren't about to trust four strange males—who could do bad things to us much more easily—even in such a minor fashion as taking us home. 

            "We'll be just fine. Thank you." Mercy smiled back at Leonardo and his brothers. They fidgeted like they weren't comfortable with our decision. "Go on!" Mercy urged playfully. _Hee hee! Mercy, you're such a player. "We'll come back, I promise." They reluctantly moved off, leaving Angel back in our possession. I slid my arm around Angel's waist, watching those guys, maybe the only men we could ever be with again, slip away into the dark shadows. Mercy joined us, delivering another hug, pulling Bliss in. We were glad to be together again._

 "I don't get it." Bliss said. "Why aren't we going with them?"

            "Because they're strangers, Bliss." Angel answered. Wiggling out, she frowned. We all broke up, Bliss flipping her long curly brown hair behind her. Her frown began turning to a pout as she saw mine and Mercy eyes on her too. She didn't like thinking people didn't agree with her. And Mercy and I waiting for her explanations instead of Angel's would seem to fit that.

            "But they're turtles. They're like us!"

            "We don't know them." Mercy reminded. Bliss glanced at Mercy, but didn't want to argue with her still.

            "They can give us protection. It'll be safer if _we're with them!" She turned back to Angel._

            "That's beside the point. And how would you know?" Angel countered.

            "I mean, look at them. They're big guys." She walked down a few steps in the direction the guys had gone.

            "Didn't you ever hear that size doesn't matter." I think that was something Mercy knew that Angel hadn't grasped yet. That it was easier to let Bliss sound off before speaking your piece. Which was why Bliss never argued with Mercy. And as for me? Hell, I was just the comic relief. I stayed away from Bliss's bad side. 

"Speak for yourself." Turning back around, it was obvious that Bliss was looking for _some confrontation. But it didn't look like Angel was well enough to match her this time. "****__I think we should go with them. Maybe they actually have a __heater. Come on, __let's catch up with them!" She went to guide us toward the guys' home._

            "We're not going anywhere. Neither are you." Angel answered.

"_You can't tell me what to do!" Mercy and I cringed, moving together away from the impending battle. "I'm tired of hiding out in all these old crack houses! I'm tired of stealing oreo cookies! I'm tired of only getting reruns of Gilligan's island and the weather channel! And I'm tired of being told what to do!" She punched her thighs. "__I'm sick of it! It's not fair!" Angel began towards her. "__It's not fair at all! **It's not fair!"**___

Crack! 

A resounding silence came through the tunnel. Our mouths gaped, staring at Bliss in the shaft of sunlight. She raised a hand to her cheek, which we could all guess was stinging like a bitch. Angel glared daggers at her, her breath becoming labored.

            "No, it isn't fair." She agreed. "And making a _stupid decision isn't going to make it any fairer." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "If you want to go, __fine. But if you do," She took another breath. "you don't come back. And that's it." We swallowed, Bliss paling. Mercy went to support Angel, as she looked about ready to fall over. "I'm not tell you what to do. So do what you want," She heaved. "let's go."_

            With Angel leaning on her arm, Mercy began leading us back towards the sewer opening that had let us in. I looked at Bliss, beginning to follow after Mercy and Angel. She stood in her place as we moved off.  I actually started to wonder if she would really stay, try to find the guys we had just met. Then I wondered if Angel and Mercy would actually let her. After a few moments she started towards the opening, trailing along behind us. Her tail literally between her legs. And we finally got to go back to our little cave of comfort. Hallelujah. 


	6. Girls and boys

Hello Peoples. I'd like to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. For those of you, I know, have been saying 'Where's the next chapter of 'The lost Girls?!' I will simply die if I cannot read more! Whatever will I do! Wherever will I go!?' Or at least I like to fantasize people saying that. Anyways.

Just started college, crazy computer shenanigans, I think I was running a fever when I was writing this. So a lot of its intelligibility is due to the work of Vespera, who has been fixing up my chapters all nice like, and to whom I should have given credit earlier. She's writing 'Brothers in Arms' and she's amazing and you should worship her immediately.

In the meantime, since you're here. Please read the story. If there are any strange symbols, it is not my attempt to lure you into my evil tomatoy cult, but the fact that I am transfering material from Microsoft works, to Microsoft Word, to a Macintosh, and the computers aren't happy.

If you'd like to sound off about this, please write a review! I like them very much. Very much, indeed. In fact, I'm kind of lonely and sad in my College, so if you wrote sometime nice, it would make my week. Even if you only want to complain. About the quality of my work, the weird cult symbols everywhere, your life in general. I'm all ears. Or hell, just e-mail me at sara_ni_sasami@yahoo.com. You know you want to. Please sit back, read, enjoy yourselves.

~~~

The lair after practice smelled incontrovertibly male. Four twenty-two year old's spotted with fresh sweat, finally calm after exerting pent up testosterone does that. Basking in the afterglow of practice, Mike reclined on the couch, taking the good cushion of himself. Raph came out from the kitchen, two soda's in hand. _Cocktail hour_. He caught the can tossed to him, being jostled as Raph dropped onto the couch beside him.

"This sucks." Raph declared after watching seven seconds of a commercial. He cracked his can open, slurping half of it down a drink without tearing his eyes away from the television set. Rolling the cold can over his curved brow, Mike agreed in his head. Anything more would be making the remote fair game for pirating.

It had been nearly two weeks since Angel had graced the lair, and since their brief encounter with her enchanting friends. Their 'down time' was driving them all to the point of a cardiac arrest. Like children with their first lick of candy. Delicious sacred candy.

They hadn't heard from them since that day. It left them feeling anxious, eager, elated even so, and thought they wouldn't admit it, dejected. There was sure to be someone home at all time in the hopes of their return. Generally, even the transient Raphael, who had just returned from more than a week's leave when Angel had shown up, was placidly staying at home. His brothers knew exactly what was keeping him there also.

There had never before been the remotest chance of any of them partaking in some sex. Outside of some prostitutes they sort of knew. But that possibility had never gone on to anything real for them. Either by their morals, or lack of funds for the inflated prices. But now, the thoughts that plagued and excited their minds for a large portion of every day and dream, had some plausible chance of fruition.

Not that sex was the only force driving them towards these girls. Though none would admit to it, a normal, romantic, boyfriend-girlfriend relationship was one of those elusive qualities they fruitlessly searched for. After all, underneath the green, they were normal people. The same could be presumed of the girls.

In the meantime, Mike had tried running into them when he went out for food. Instead of taking the straight path to the pizzeria, he was sure to make the extra detour to the industrial pipe, which he knew the girls had taken. Even though it was at least a half an hour out of his way.

Despite the pleas and occasional threats from Mike, Raph, and Don, Leo wouldn't give up the address he had been given by Angel, so they could drop in for a friendly 'hello'. He was adamant about not disturbing them. As the days piled up, he remained steadfast about giving them space. His daily meditations lead him to believe that they would be returning to their door any day now. There was no need to be so intrusive as to invite themselves over. They would come soon enough.

Even so, Leo wasn't enjoying the time till then. Practice was lacking, everyone had their minds somewhere else. He had to push twice as hard just to get a decent workout running. Lots of cold pizza, and brain dead conversation. His family had been turned on end.

Mike was so upside down himself, that he, the most in tuned with Raphael, didn't pick up on the glaring calm that had descended him. Outside of a iced demeanor with Leo, which in itself wasn't that out of the ordinary, he was unusually passive. He made no more than a grunt of a half hearted complaint for Mike's choice of 'Hamtaro' as entertainment.

__

bam bam bam

The subject of the girls had finally fallen to the back of their minds. Never that far beneath the surface, but enough for them to become absorbed in the television. The other thing that had effortlessly ingrained itself into their minds. Raphael let himself sink into a calm stupor, eyes glued to the screen. It was too early for a real drink, so he accepted having only a root beer. Mike seemed to like the stuff.

__

bam bam bam

Reluctantly turning from his show, Mike glared at the door. It sounded like a bear with a jackhammer was trying to find his way. A sewer worker must be poking around again. But that wasn't supposed to come till the end of next month. Besides, they wouldn't be banging on the walls. 

"What the fuck is that?" Pushing off the couch, he set his can down on the end table, moving towards the door.

__

Bam bam bam

This time it was right at the entrance to the lair. Someone was looking to get in, they had brains enough to know where the entrance was. Taking the risk to see what was up, Mike opened the door. The wall swung open, bringing the partially decomposed brick side in with it.

"_HI!_" His eyes expanded almost out of their sockets. His face lifting, he unconsciously pulled his shoulders back, becoming taller. Stopped before the door opening, Mercy and Bliss gazed in, tell-tale heavy clothes and sunken eyes. An uncomfortable silence passed. Mike's face began to soften, or fall. "....what's wrong?"

"We need your help." Mercy croaked. 

While ninja's are naturally swift, the turtles seemed to gear up that afternoon with a supernatural speed. Literally throwing things from the med lab into a backpack, Don had hastily assembled a first aid kit, which was slung over his shoulder, beside his bo. While it weighed him down, with his gear and clothes, he still kept up with the others' quickened pace.

Taking a new route to the industrial section, for the construction plot was being worked in, they emerged from a sewer pipe in the rear alley of the battered building. In the sun the old factory had the glimmer of its mid-century glory. The block was no longer a line of empty crack houses and part time homes for the homeless. But vital pieces of the American work force. Silenced by the technology which had long since outdated them. Pieces of the past which had dropped into the world, forgotten and useless, but still with the out of place majesty.

Reservedly motioning the way to the door, Mercy watched the fours' reactions. They didn't seem the least bit alarmed that they were living in such a broken building, in, by all outwards appearances, a rather dangerous underground neighborhood. Then again, they _did_ live in a sewer themselves. Maybe this wasn't so bad by their standards. All they did was turn for the door, waiting for their lady escorts.

"So how long has she been like this?" Donatello asked, following Bliss and Mercy through the faded red door. Walking sideways, Mercy repeated most of what she hastily blurted out earlier, now calm enough to think through all of her words. After speaking so much, in addition to the caustic sewer air, her throat was even more irritated, and it was painful to talk.

"Ever since she came back. But it wasn't until a few days ago she started getting really bad." The musky scent of the rafters and walls grew in potency with the warm day. But at the same time, it was damp, dark and drafty. The sunlight, filtered through New York haze, and then the grungy film of the ceiling skylights, gave the same overall effect of weak moonlight. "She couldn't get up at all. And she doesn't want to even move. We don't have a thermometer, but we think she has a fever."

Passing through the dusty debris which littered the floor, Mercy and Bliss showed them to the back room. The door was still wide open from where they had rushed out an hour earlier, too single minded to have remembered to shut it. Hope had pushed some of the stuff around inside while they were out. The sheets were folded, all the food was stacked against the wall, and the clothes were piled up in the corner. Laid out straight on the new mattress, Angel was unnaturally still. Like a leaf on the surface of a stagnant water. The blanket had been pushed down around her stomach, and then kicked about till it only covered down to her knees. Her hair was ratted and had been pulled out of her face, into a messy ponytail. No longer pale, as it had been from blood loss, Angel's skin was discolored and sickly looking. She did not look well.

Hope, kneeling beside the mattress, looked up at their new guests with her wide brown eyes. She had on jeans and a pink hooded sweatshirt, a bottle of water beside her. Donatello immediately went to the other side of the mattress, removing his disguise and setting his pack beside him. Mercy joined Hope, watching in amazement as Donatello stripped off all his clothing right in front of them. Bliss stood gaped mouthed, hardly noticing the three other turtles moving around her to look over the seemingly half-dead contents of the mattress.

"Let's see..." Removing a thin flashlight from his bag, Don didn't notice the stupefied stares he was receiving from his unexpected exhibitionsim. He leaned over Angel, gently prying open her eye. Before he could shine the light to it though, she turned her head away, moaning in protest. "Whoa," Don pulled back. "She's awake."

"Yeah," Mercy said slowly. "um, she's been like that for awhile... half awake."

"I see." Moving forward again, Don caught Angel's eyes, squinting up at all the new visitors of the tiny room. "Hi Angel," He said softly. "Do you remember me? Donatello?" Closing her eyes, she nodded. "You're pretty sick, ok? I'm just going to check you out, see if we can find what's wrong..." 

Donatello began his examination, seeing that his touches were just as gentle as when he'd first treated Angel. Though this time more out of medical concern, than mindfulness of his own personal incompetence with the opposite sex. Michelangelo walked around his brothers, who had all crowded around. The room was stuffy and he pulled off his coat, laying it over his arm, knocking his hat off into his hand. While Don took Angel's temperature, he took a good look at the three conscious girls, as they weren't aware of his perusal.

Bliss was arguablely the prettiest. Her hair was long and richly brown, with wavy sort of curls. It wasn't thin or fine. But thick, somehow still with the sense of softness. She had big light brown eyes, and cute pouting lips, that glistened as though she had put on some gloss. Very kissable he fantasized ^______^ Of all of the girls, he had seen the least of her to date. The excepotion being the walk to the building, but she had been around Leo the whole time. Even then, in the emotionally heavy room, she was watching him, chewing thoughtfully on her finger knuckle. _God damn it, Leo. Two for four._ And maybe even Mercy from the way she had been sweet talking him before. The guy was as fun as a lamp, and he was already getting hooked up. _Stupid Leo_.

Mercy. She had taken off her coat and hat, eyes still trained on Angel. Or more likely Don. Her cat-like eyes watched every move he made. Like she was expecting him to do something wrong so she could attack. Mike didn't envy his brother just then. But being under the intense attention of a pretty girl could be _all_ bad. She had skin that was dark, a ruddy sort of green like Don's. Eyes were black, matching the shock of black hair that cut across her forehead. Her hair was cut short, and sort of spiky. She wore black pants and a faded black tee shirt. When she was standing she was shorter than him. All the girls were shorter than him. But Mercy was shorter than all the girls as well. He found her mysterious. But sweet all the same. Hot. Sexy. Sexalicious. Sexarific. Hottie-hot pie. She had probably been a babe as a- They had _all_ probably been babes when they were human. When they were human.

Hope was definitely the epitome of cuteness. He grinned just thinking of her. He still remembered the intense look on her face when she had opened her girlie can of whoop ass on him. Totally adorable. Her sheepish smile afterward had been like the sun coming out. She was so totally shway. He couldn't wait to get to talk to her. He couldn't wait to talk to _any_ of them. Alone that is. Where Leo wouldn't be over shadowing him with what must be some weird Leonardo voodoo sex appeal. But none of that would happen just yet. She was keeping a real close eye on Angel, as she had been doing since Mercy and Bliss had left to go for help. She didn't even notice Mike's eyes looking her over. An advantage he took quite readily, as he found her rather attractive.

"Holy _jesus_!" Don exclaimed, snapping Mike away from his sight seeing. He, Leo, Raph, and Bliss circled around quickly. Don was crouched over Angel, and turned his head away with a grimace. They could all smell something wrong. Rotting flesh. The girls hadn't smelled anything like it before, pushing back, Bliss hurrying behind them. They couldn't pinpoint the scent, if only from a blessed ignorance. The turtles on the other hand knew, if only by memory. While none of the men they killed ever winded up smelling this bad before they left the scene, many an independent dead body had dropped or washed through the sewers. Even, somehow especially, when they were children. They knew the scent_ anywhere_. "What the hell happened?" Don placed the arm back from where he had been tugging off the bandage, and came around to the other side of the bed, so he wouldn't be leaning so far over Angel's body. Her head began to turn to the other side of the pillow to follow him, but stopped midway, taking a deep breath to recuperate the energy she had lost in staying awake.

"It's an infection." Mercy informed. Untying the bandage fully, Don gagged as the full force of it hit him. His eyes watered, and he tried to shake it out from his olfactory senses.

__

Tssssssssssssssk

Leaning in, Hope shot a blast of room deodorizer from a pink flowery can, right into the space around Don's beak. Breathing in, he coughed a few times, into the nook of his elbow.

"Sorry." Hope laughed apologetically, setting the can to the side. Don nodded, and wafted some of the spray away, before they upset his allergies.

"Have you sprayed this into the room already?" He asked, placing the very disgusting looking bandages away from him.

"Yeah, it was starting to stink." Bliss sat down on the other mattress, watching over Hope and Mercy's shoulders. Don nodded, turning back to the project before him. He so preoccupied that he had missed the rather noxious smell of mutant roses.

"Did you put anything thing on this?" He turned the arm over gently. Both the entrance and exit wounds were black and green, as the skin and flesh was rotting inside out. It oozed a virulent green and yellow puss, tinted by the blood, and what he assumed was pieces of scab that hadn't been able to hold. "It needs to be cleaned... badly." Don moved his hands away, as an opaque liquid began to emerge and crawl sluggishly down her arm somehow.

"But we _did_ clean it." Mercy countered. "Every day. It got infected, and we cleaned it even more, but..." She paused, then closed her mouth.

"Buuuut... it got worse despite." Leonardo finished. Looking up, Mercy nodded at him. He nodded in recognition of her minor communication. 

"What were you using?" Don asked, directing Raphael to the handful of gauze squares in his pack._ Was it gasoline?_ Taking some from his brother, Don proceeded in a cursory cleaning, wiping whatever he could off.

"Um, that." Mercy pointed into the shadows. Six or seven flashlights, on and set on end, provided the lights for the little office. But still there still were arched shadows where the lights didn't cover. And in one of those, partially illuminated, were three tall glass bottles. Don squinted through the sporadic light beams to see them, tucked away almost out of sight, and Mike quickly fetched them. They all watched him gather the bottles carefully into his arm, giving each a once over of his own. Once they were all collected, he brought them into the light, setting them in a row at the head of Angel's mattress.

Vodka. One bottle only half empty, the rest drained. Eighty proof. They had gotten the alcohol... somehow... and used it like an antiseptic. It didn't make sense. The vodka _should've_ killed off whatever had been there. Not the actual cells themselves. If this was all that was put on, than had it only made things worse? A quandary. _Three bottles_, though?

"You used all of this in _two weeks_?" It wasn't like she needed to be bathed in it. 

"We drank some of it." Bliss responded. Not the least bit ashamed. Mercy and Hope tried to dim down their smirks.

"Most of it." Angel amended, the girls had to try harder to restrain their amusement. The turtles looked down at Angel, unsure whether to find her comment comical or disturbing. It sounded as though a chain smoking frog had crawled into her throat. All the girls had scratchy throats, now that they noticed Angel's. Not quite as bad as that one, though.

"Let me guess. You had the most." Don speculated.

"I'll say." Hope chuckled. Lolling her head on the pillow, still smirking, Angel told her to shut up.

"Shut up."

"What, are you gunna come over here and get me? Bring it." Hope teased. The girls hid their quietly laughing smiles behind their hands as the guys looked at them. They didn't understand how the three could taunt someone who was unable to even fight back. Her movement dying down, Angel dropped back into the unconscious, unable to keep herself up even for their new guests, or her examination. She mumbled something about showing Hope what-for, her wrist going limp under Don's fingers.

"Well, what do you think?" Mercy asked. He laid Angel's hand back over her stomach, turning on one knee to face them.

"She seems pretty bad off. Whatever it is, it's not reacting favorablely with the vodka you've been applying. That's the only real conclusion I can reach by what I know. Maybe if I had some other information, like what she's been in contact with. Possible bacteria, or germs." He shook his head. "I'll have to take her to the lab to find out exactly what. And to patch her up again as well." He decided, beginning to pack his equipment back in. "Yes, that's the best course of action. She'll need something for the fever, maybe some acetaminophen..." Trailing off in his own medical prognosis', he took no notice of the girls' reaction. Mike began collecting the bottles again so Don could examine their contents later, Raph and Leo also helping to gather Don's things. He really didn't know how to keep his things organized. Working silently, they all clearly heard Mercy's voice cutting through the busy room.

"Do you have to?" They stopped at all turned to her. Kneeling in the space between the two beds, both her and Hope's faces had become unreadable. They waited with a weird impatience, as if someone was asking to borrow their car. Don looked up slowly to his brothers, raising his eye ridge. Did they not want their friend treated?

Leonardo frowned as he began to understand. They had just wanted Don to fix their friend up and get out. Nothing more than a house call. In fact, they didn't want to be around the guys at all. Actually, they hadn't asked for anyone other than Don in the first place. They had just been tagging along, like three children with the cool kids. Don cleared his throat and turned back.

"I don't have the things I need here to clean her up to begin with. And in order to determine what's is wrong with her arm, I'm going to need a good microscope, at the very least... She needs medication, and I don't know what it is yet." He set his pack down, wondering if he really needed to be packing it up even. He _knew_ that Angel had to be taken back to the lair. If the girls wouldn't change their minds, he would tell them that she could die. Which was true. Her arm was already starting to die, and there was a good probability it would continue to spread to the rest of her body and organs, like a sort of cancer. He didn't want to scare them if he didn't have to, however. Mercy seemed to consent though, when it was clearer that Angel needed more serious medical attention. She nodded and stood up, taking her coat and hat with her.

"Ok." She agreed. "But we're coming too." Hope stood up as well, hurrying to the back corner to get her coat and cover. Bliss was still dressed to go, and watched as men gathered up their last pieces of equipment. 

"We'll have to carry-" Don began to explain. Before he could finish, Leo was already handing the stethoscope he was holding over. He went to pick Angel up, but found Raphael already there. Kneeling beside the mattress, he was moving off the blanket. 

He hadn't really noticed before, how Angel's bare legs were showing where the blanket didn't cover. But once it was off, there were two shapely green legs, full and complete. All there was for them was a rather skimpy pair of faded yellow knickers. Which did nothing to cover or detract from a set of glorious legs. His eyes followed the subtle curves of her thighs, around the little indent from where her knees locked, down the supple skin of her leg to where the cords of her ankle drew down, down around the little knobby part of her feet where the bone protrudes out, and-

A shadow fell over the mattress, pausing Raphael's survey. He looked up cautiously to see a figure looming over, Mercy, eyes hard and patient. She didn't move as he slid his arms under Angel's back and knees, gently lifting her up. Her arms hung limply, falling away from where they had rested over her stomach, head lolling back as if it had been broken. Mercy stepped forward, folding Angel's arms back over, helping curl her into Raphael's arms. She paused, glanced at Raphael, then tugged Angel's tee-shirt farther down over her shorts.

"Are we ready?" Leonardo smirked away from his brother, and set his hat back on his head. "You have everything, Don?"

"Yup." Buttoning his coat back up, Don slid his arms through the straps of his backpack. Bliss dropped the hat back on his head with a smile.

"Get the lights first." Mercy began clipping off all the flashlights, dropping the warehouse back into an afternoon of darkness. Three she kept, handing one over each to Bliss and Hope, recalling how dark the sewers were, even in the day time. She glanced around quickly, seeing Mike skirt off ahead to see if things were clear. Bliss kept Leo occupied, asking if they had a comfortable enough abode for 'Angel' to stay in. Which also kept Don absorbed, since she had suddenly come into the habit of twirling her hair in a spray of directions, now including his. Raphael was engrossed enough with the now defenseless form in his arms for Mercy to quietly take the switch blade Angel had picked up earlier, and slip it into her pocket. Just in case. After all, they _were_ going home with a bunch of strangers.

And by how muscle bound Don and Mike had shown to be, after removing their coats, and how effortlessly Raph carried Angel, they would need whatever edge they could get in a skirmish. If they were to know that the turtles were full fledged ninja's, it would be doubtful if they would have willingly followed them to their den. At least now, they still had the semblance of control.

Popping his head back in the crowded office, Mike announced it was clear to leave. The seven lined up, Raphael and the girls in the middle, with Leo and Don on either end for protection. Leonardo closed the stained fiberglass door behind them as they followed Mike back through the dingy warehouse. A calm sense of triumph in the four turtles. And a calm sense of uncertainty in the three girls. But with all the same gait, nearly the same disguises, the convoy disappeared from the crusty inside of the old building, leaving the faded side door to close unceremoniously, slamming shut on the torn toe of a dilapidated boot in the alley.

~~~

A.N.

I recognize this is a rather long chapter. So I offer you this break, to go to the bathroom, get some fried chicken, pick your nose. When you're ready, come back.

~~~

"_Oooooo! Twins!_" Mike declared. "_I'm a daddy! At laaaaaast!_"

"Yeah, last _is_ right." Mike glanced down at the game board, then frowned at Leonardo. His car was at least half way behind the majority of the other players'. Including Leonardo's, whom had never won the game of 'Life' in his life.

"Hey, shut up. **You're** only ahead because you skipped college. Cheater." Mike blew him a raspberry, trying to jam two blue pegs into his orange minivan. Only succeeding in bending one in half, and breaking the other into two pieces with his thick finger and thumb. "Fuck, that always happens."

"Watch your mouth." Leo shot back. Hope herself had revealed an exceptional sailor mouth on the trek through the sewers, once she tripped and had her behind soaked in the unmentionable fluids that ran through the tunnels. Mike had taken it as free license to swear freely afterward, and Leo knew he would have to set him straight fairly soon about it. He wouldn't have his brother being so goddamn offensive when they were in this kind of company.

Seated around the game board, Mercy, Hope, and Bliss made up the rest of the players. Spread out on the floor with their game pieces and soda cans. Paper plates with pizza crusts had been pushed aside, closer to the half dozen empty pizza boxes that were stacked on the lab floor with them. Set in the back, the five of them played to pass the time as Donatello studied and tested furiously at his counters, like the happy little scientist he was. Raphael had taken the stool in the corner, balancing in a cross-legged fashion, his arm folded tightly over his chest, unwilling to join the game. Angel lay on the white cot, her arm cleaned and rebandaged, Leonardo's pillow, the only one not covered with years of drool stains, propping up her head. After the first few hours it became clear the need for some distraction. Especially for Don's sake. Mercy had first taken one of Angel's sides, seeing to her comfort while chatting idely. But as time passed, she had begun looking around Donatello's things, curious of the vials and suspiciously sealed things he had in the lab. Holding a bottle, glaring at a title she seemed to recognize, Mercy gained Don's greater attention, who then turned to his brothers with a look of '_Stop her!!_' Mike, with his Mike-sorcery, apperated a board game, which drew everyone's attention from greater concerns, and into five hollow plastic cars.

The afternoon had turned into evening, as Don had apparently become absorbed in something, and was unwilling to share, least he lose his ever lengthening train of thought. Leo sighed as Mike tossed away the pair of blue people pegs from their already diminishing supply.

"Besides," He continued, "skipping college is one of the games options. It isn't cheating." He couldn't believe they were having such a stupid argument in front of the girls. What a way to make an impression, but then by fighting like ten-year-olds.

"Well, when you do it is." Mike fished two more pegs out from the game's box. "Would you mind?" He poutingly implored Bliss, who was sitting to his left. Smiling, she took them from him, her slim fingers placing the pegs in expertly. "Thank you." Mike grinned at her kindness.

"_My turn!_" Hope exclaimed, shattering Mike's concentration, he shuddered at the outburst. Drawing up on her knees, wearing a dry pair of sweatpants from the guys' collection, she leaned over the board and spun the dial. Clicking furiously, it spun. Hope still leaned over the board, watching from an ariel perspective. Unwittingly providing Mike and Leo a view down her shirt. Nudging Mike's foot when it seemed he was staring a little too casually, Leonardo frowned. Only enough not to be noticed by their lady friends. But Hope caught it, then Mike's line of vision, the dial still twirling down. "_Hey! You looking down my shirt!_" She slapped his shoulder. "_You little bitch! I'm gunna put my fist down your throat and-_" The dial knocked itself to a stop underneath her, Hope glanced down at it. "Seven." She pushed her little pink car, crowded with pink pegs (and the little blue one in the backseat) down the game board, until it rested on the final square. "Wuh? I won?" Forgetting Mike's transgression, Hope's face grew into a happy grin. "_I win!_" Still leaning over the board, she stuck her finger in Leonardo's face. "_In your face! In-your-face!_" She turned to Michelangelo and cackled, then pulled back onto her knees, laughing maniacally. "_Ha ha ha ha ha!_"

The four turtles watched her with fear and awe. Even Donatello, who had turned from his counter and wheeled his chair up to his brothers. It was like watching a drunk dog attacking a bike. Somehow afraid to turn their backs on the scene, but ashamed to find it coarsely amusing.

Mercy chuckled to herself, at both Hope's antics, and the turtles' reaction, as Hope began to shake her fists over her head. Truthfully, Hope wasn't nearly as insane as she acted. Mercy knew it was only her getting comfortable with their hosts. Of course, the turtles didn't know that. Which made the event all the more entertaining for Mercy. And Angel if she were awake.

Noticing Don's foot out of the corner of his eye, Leo looked up at his brother. The last two times he had joined their little gaming space, it was to collect a series of cheek swabs from the girls for analysis. None of them seemed to keen on it, and, as Mike slyly pointed out to them, if they were to move their game board to the living room, Don would be less inclined to bother them. But to that, Mercy and Hope declined. They offered no explanation, but Leonardo simply assumed that they didn't want to leave Angel alone. It wasn't as if they were going to experiment on her, or sexually assault her while she was unconscious, but he didn't argue. They were in their rights to feel however they felt.

"Well?" He asked quietly, not wanting to interrupt Hope's tirade, less she feel compelled to attack him.

"I think I have it..." Don began switching his mindset back to the reason he had been slaving over a hot microscope for the past six hours. And with his few words, he quieted the commotion, and drew six pairs of eyes to him. "Oh, um..." He felt his throat beginning to dry up. _That's right, throats_... "So you were half right, Mercy. About the infection. I'll, uh, get around to that in a sec.

"Firstly, the, uh, basis of cell reproduction is that the DNA within copies into RNA, which makes more DNA, increasing the size of the cell until it has enough mass to split. Thus producing a second identical cell. That's the gist of it. Now, when the cell has been exposed to a mutenagen as yours have," he turned farther towards to girls, still looking far over their shoulders to the cross section of round juicy looking cells. "the DNA is altered, taking on the 'turtloid' components. Think of it as the mutenagen being infused with the turtle DNA. Each time the DNA of the cell copies to RNA, it's taking on more of the mutenagen, until all of it's been absorbed. While most of the mutenagen has been absorbed while you were in Connecticut, probably under the influence of some accelerated cell regenerating serums, giving you the forms you have now, there are still remnants which have yet to be taken in. Even as we speak, your cells are reproducing, bringing out the rest of the turtle aspects that haven't fully developed." By this time, Raphael had gotten off his stool to better hear his brother's broken explainations, leaning against the back wall in silence.

"Now, what appears to have happened," Don rolled his chair back, crossing the lab fluidly, and turning back to his counter. He grasped the neck of one of the vodka bottles and wheeled back beside Leonardo with it. "Is that the introduction of alcohol on the cells counteracted the active mutenagen, and stopped whatever RNA production was happening.

"So without anymore cells being produced, the preexisting cells continued their own lifecycles, and died. Without replacement cells. So the skin and muscle simply died off, wherever the mutenagen was being negated. Wherever the vodka was applied. The alcohol and it's yeasts were stopping the cells ability to reproduce." Don repeated as Mike's brow continued to drop. "The more you tried to clean up the mess, the worse you were making it with this." He set the bottle on the floor, after a few descriptive sloshes through the air.

"Um, the decaying area developed a secondary infection. Which ironically was being killed by the alcohol, and fed by the cells that were also dying from it. See, because it should've been... but it wasn't.... I just noticed...." He trailed off under Mike's disapproving glare.

"Dude, you're jokes suck. Just stop trying."

"Um. Yeah, well. The infection was what was making such a mess. The good news is, now that I've rinsed the wound out, the cells will hopefully get back to business, and heal correctly. I can treat the infection now with some of our homeopathic stuff, which doesn't work the same way the alcohol does.

"The other aspect this system brings up, is that you were drinking it. That you ingested the stuff brings up a whole load of complications. However... since your digestive track is set up to handle, or basically get rid of, anything that goes in your mouth, it might not go on to destroy your internal organs. Just cause minor irritation, since only a trivial amount really would have been absorbed into your blood stream. Say, some sore throats?"

"Wait, you're saying that parts of our throats are _dead_?" Bliss blanched.

"Well, yes." Don affirmed. "But it's perfectly natural. Our cells are constantly dying and regenerating. Even without the effects of the alcohol, 'parts' of your throat would be dead." Bliss stuck her tongue out with a grimace, scootching back behind Mercy. "The irritation should be over in a day or so, as long as you don't drink anymore of this stuff." He nudged the bottle with his toe.

"However, from what you've told me, Angel was drinking allot of it. And not much else. And with her preexisting low blood count, it seems that she's absorbed more into her blood stream. It's turned into a body-wide infection, which has caused the fever. I'm going to treat it with some large doses of anti-biotics, and a saline drip. Just to get some more fluids in her body. And I'd like for you to take some anti-biotics too. Just to be safe. We'll take it from there?"

"Thanks, Don." Leonardo said. Don nodded and accepted praise from the girls, before proudly wheeling back to his counters to prepare the medication. It had been a long day, from simply sitting quietly in one space for six and a half hours. It seemed sleep was the best option, and Mike quickly made his bedroom available.

Rather disinclined to join him in his room, the girls opted to stay in the lab for the night. The two good sleeping bags were rolled in, and laid out flat to form one large bed and blanket. The turtles relinquished their remaining pillows wordlessly, and by the time the girls had set up their space, seen that Angel was comfortable, and Don had finished medicating his new patient, they were all ready for bed. The turtles said their goodnights to three pairs of eyes in the dark lab, and closed the door firmly behind them. 


	7. Bliss

~~

Bliss~

Early. Too early. Why do I keep waking up so early? I want to sleep in so badly. But every morning, always the same. Wake up. Watch the ceiling. Wish I were sleeping. Everyone else is still out cold. Hope is beside me, and she looks so comfortable. I bet she doesn't feel the clammy chill of the room from where she is, snuggled between our bodies. I consider burrowing in closer, sharing the pocket of heat with her, farther away from the drafty edges of the covers. But then I'd have to be pressed up against her for another two hours before I fell back asleep, or she got up. It wasn't fair. 

Instead, I crawled out of the covers. I quickly noticed the lack of dust in my nose. Or my stupid 'nose holes,' actually. It smelt sterile and static, and the floor wasn't concrete. It wasn't the office place anymore, I quickly realized. It took me a moment to gain my bearings. My eyes adjusted quickly and found the corners of counters, edges of tables and shelves, and the piles unidentifiable debris----

__

early, always too early. I would think. It was always too cold. They never gave us good blankets. They thought we weren't awake at night, but we were. Sometimes we talked. But not very often as the weeks dragged along. 

They moved us around. I didn't always know who was in the cage beside me was. Not in the dark. They whimpered alot. Me too. I cried alot. Until I couldn't feel my own tears. It wasn't fair. Sometimes I couldn't remember the names. They would always call me Bliss, and I'd remember their voices. 

It hurt so bad. It was like period cramps a million times over, all day long. At night they sedated us, is what Angel said. But it didn't put us to sleep anymore after awhile. Or if it did, we'd always wake up too early. Then we'd just have a softened pain, the warnings of the major hurt readying to surface in the morning.

But we were always up before the mornings. We got to wait for it. Sometimes the girls would cry, and moan, and swear. They didn't hurt as bad as I did though. I cried all the time, it hurt so bad. It wasn't just the hurt. I wanted home. I wanted out. It wasn't fair. Not for me, I didn't deserve this. I was one of the good people. I never hurt anybody. It wasn't right. They wouldn't listen.----

I quickly remembered where I was. This wasn't the laboratory. That was a long time ago. Well, not that long ago. We were safe now. No more pain. We weren't safe and back home yet, Conneticutt, but we were alot closer than we were yesterday. I knew someday I'd be home again, away from this sucky life. I remembered the rescue we had, and how four men had taken us in. They told us everything would be alright. And except for looking like a monster, I was agreeing with them.

It was still cold though. There weren't any spare blankets around to cover myself in, and Mercy and Hope seemed to have a pretty good hold on the bed covers. I looked to Angel through the darkness. It wasn't like she'd notice if I took her blanket. It wasn't a really good one in the _first_ place. She had all those wires and the little beeping machine that measured her heart. That would keep her warm or something if she got cold.

But I suddenly had a better idea. Tentatively making my way around Angel's protruding cot, I fumbled with where I thought I had seen the door knob. My hand brushed it, and I quickly grasped on. It turned easily, although the door stuck a little when I opened it. I slipped out and closed the door quickly behind me, so as to not wake up the other girls.

Outside the lab room, I recognized the hallway I had seen last night. There was a light at the end of it, where the living room and kitchenette and things were. Under the doors across from me, however, were lights also. I believe I had seen bedrooms in them earlier. Messy, tell-tale guys rooms. Since I didn't know who was behind any of the doors, I opened the first one I came to, which was directly in front of me.

It was totally dark, the hallway giving only a faint wash of light to the things inside. Sparse furniture, stacks of things intermixed, like CD's, magazines, and 'fruit roll-ups.' It smelt as though some food had been lost inside for a long time. I really didn't have to think about who's room this was. I had already sized the four turtles up, compared to the guys I knew. Mike was like most of the immature neanderthals walking the planet. He would be fun to hang out with, fuck a few times, easy-going fling potential. But I was no fool. This wasn't like high school or anything. From what we had been told, we were the only eight mutants around. And we _were_ our only company. From the get go I knew where this was leading. I mean, _duh_. Four girls. Four guys. Seamless hook-up-age. And I was going to come out on top. I wasn't out to step on my friends or anything, but this was war... And Mike was not the top. I could see him, etched in the bed by dim lights, hanging half out of his bed, foot hooked through the foot board, arm and leg splayed out to the floor. How was I supposed to sleep in a bed with that? He'd probably roll all over the place and kick me.

I closed the door softly, just in case I woke him, though it was unlikely with the rolling snore he was issuing out of his mouth, or nose (if he had one) or something. Bare feet patting down to the next door, _damn_ the floor was cold. This one had a light on beneath, a good sign. I pulled a few locks of hair forward, all of it back looked a little severe sometimes. Of course, I hadn't had a good shampooing in a long time, so my hair was starting to dread, and always looked ratty. At least when it was forward it looked a little softer.

Peeking inside, I didn't like what I saw. The room was messy (although not _as_ messy) like Mike's. But that's not what I was disappointed with. This was Raphael's room. I just knew. Hell, maybe I _was_ picking something up. He really did look like the rest of his brothers, sitting halfway up in the bed. Maybe in a few days I could tell the difference, but right now it was those hard eyes that made the distinction. This one was dangerous. And mean. I couldn't get a bead on him. But I did know that the way he just watched us all quietly was not a good sign. I would not want to be left in a room with him. So I quickly excused myself from his gaze, as it was turning from frozen surprise to curiousity. Creep. 

The next door I decided not to bother with. There was snoring for one thing. Taped on the door was a sign, probablely not by the inhabitants hand, that read 'I'm a big dork head.' So I guessed it was Donatello, the doctor, inside. Which left one door on the hall, left wide open and empty. That seemed more promising than a sleeping dork head. Fuck it was cold. I didn't get goosebumps anymore. That was wierd.

I glanced into the open room quickly. It was kept in order, though the bed was in disarray, and the trashcan was overflowing onto the floor. Still in better form than the first two I had the displeasure of wandering into. I didn't know where Leonardo was though, or what he was doing awake so early. Although I did intend to join him.

Surely he was the one who had turned on the lights. Treading timidly into the quiet expanse of home, I found I was correct. Glass of water in hand, he was heading my way from the kitchen, or bathroom, or somewhere. Well-toned was a good word for him. Before he would've been too short for me. But now that I had seemed to have had shrunk, he was a good height. I could really appreciate all those mad muscles. I wondered what he could really do with all those *evil grin* What he could do to me, that is.

And what was up with that 'naked' thing? Don and Mike had both gone down to their birthday suits almost as soon as they had walked through our doors yesterday. I thought maybe they had just made a horrible mistake. How embarrasing that would've been. I know _I_ wanted to die. But then when we got into the sewer den, they _all_ took it off. Like, _everything._ Fucking naked! I was totally red, for like, three hours. Whenever I had to look at one of them. I couldn't believe they had done that. I guess they always walked around like that. Shameless. 

Now Leonardo was wearing a robe, kind of tattered, but still warm looking, left untied. He looked surprised to see me up, suddenly pausing in step. The water sloshed in his cup, and I nervously pulled my tee shirt around my panties. At least if I had had goosebumps, he could've seen how cold my legs were. He asked what was wrong, and I told him how I was cold. How I woke up early. How I couldn't get back to sleep, and was looking for a blanket. He quickly disrobed, careful with his water, and helped me into his robe. It didn't have much heat, since he had only put it on himself a few minutes ago, but it was fuzzy and cut out the chill. He asked if that was better and I nodded, with the cute smile. I could wrap the robe all the way around me. Maybe even all around to my back again. Part of this, I could tell, was because I didn't have a big fuck-ass shell like he had. Mine was thin, and didn't come around my sides at all. In fact, when I wore clothes, you couldn't even see the thing. It was kind of narrow, and was just starting to get hard. The others were always making plans to shapen the rim that sort stuck out, and make their backs into big cookie cutters, and all the adventures they would then have. It was juvenile really. I pushed it out of my head.

He asked if I wanted a glass of water, I looked up through my eyelashes and smiled my assent. He paused for a moment, then handed me his. I hoped he hadn't already had a drink from the cup. He wanted to see me back to the med lab, I quickly asked him to stay up with me. I knew I couldn't get back to sleep. It startled him. _Was that too stong? No, still good. _Blanketed by this oversized greying robe, I was too small to be aggressive. Concentrate on looking helpless, he seemed the protective sort. He was unsure, maybe of what was expected of him, of just of what to say to my gracious offer. I wanted _him_ to stay with _me_. He had never hung out with a girl in his poor hermit life before, obviously. And here I was. I'd take it slow though. He agreed, motioning toward the couch. No bedroom, but that was fine. First I'd see he was comfortable with me. More comfortable than the other girls. Then, as Donatello had said, 'we'll take it from there.'


	8. Interlude

Hot collars. Six hot black collars, clinging to narrow necks. Masks had been removed, a strange informality in front of their master. Sitting in his inner sanctum, another informality never before experienced by the boys, their initiatory whippings by upper members still visible upon their chests. 

The room was ghostly cold, the one window leering down on the arena below closed up by heavy curtains. Lamplights seemed veiled, though they weren't, as though the light was cowering and discouraged from shining in the room. Timid and submissive like the lights, the six boys glanced here and there to the back of their Master's head. He was facing the other direction. The smooth black desk seemed like an infinite distance between them, cool to the touch, and somehow elevating the man, who couldn't be more than ten years the boys' senior, vertically, so even the nape of his neatly trimmed neck loomed over them. The door was cracked open. It had always been closed, completely, whenever they had the honor of walking the upstairs hall in this particular building. Which was twice, during their training. But talk was, for those who chose to talk, that the Master had people in his office that would not like to be identified with the building. Thus it was closed. The general mode of thinking though, was that the door remained closed out of respect, so the Master would not be bothered with trainees and nameless people glancing in for a look at him.

His voice carried through the room as a gas, zeroing in on the twelve ears as they tried not to shiver like mice. "I have heard things." His words settled, as if they themselves were waiting for the response. The bravest of the six, their group leader as assigned by the trainer, spoke.

"What have you heard, Master?" They already knew what he had heard. But it would be disrespectful to tell him as much. Tilting his head a fraction, as though the tip of his eyelash could see them all, he knew that they already knew what he knew.

"You left last week." Word got around slowly. They had kept their excursions quiet as long as they could, for going out as they had was forbidden. Especially when they took studio weapons with them. "And it was not the first time." They had gotten in the habit of doing it, whenever they knew they weren't being monitered. Still the scrubs of the foot clan, they hardly ever were allowed to be out and fight, like they had seen, had trained, and had been told of six months prior when they were contemplating their joining. Even those times when they were allowed, they were under supervision, with a group of older, full-fledged ninjas.

Dropping their heads, they all quickly, and repeatedly, dispensed with the apologies they had been preparing since their trainer had summoned them to the Master building. They knew their punishment would be severe, not only for perpetrating their crime, but for repeating it afterward. They disrespected their Master. Their clan, their honor. Such disrespect.

"Be silent." His hand raised, head turning away again. Their voices froze, hit by the unyielding tide of cold air. Here it comes. The discharging from the clan. Stripping them of all their markings. Maybe even a beating. What maybe? A definite beating, and a hard one at that. Probably to within a few inches of their lives. No wait, why live? They could go to the police. Would they be killed?! The six boys looked between each other, heads still bowed, in shadow, as so could not fully see each others eyes, looking back at them with sympathy fear. The hand remained raised. A threat of a slap, though it would be difficult over the length of the desk and directions they were all facing, but still a real and definite threat. "You have dishonored my clan." Yes, dishonored. Great dishonor. "You put us in great danger. You caused a great liability." A liability. Definite liability. 

"And yes," The fraction head turn. "You will be punished."

But no death? Did he say death? I don't think so. He would've said death. Punishment is a beating. A whipping. A ball twisting. No death. "I will not have you killed." Well, that puts _that_ to rest. Let's go get whipped and have some pizza bagels now, huh? "Do not think of food." The leader paused. The cold gas seeped into him. Did he just? Was he reading my thoughts? He had to... how could he have known? That's not something you just _say_. '_Don't think of food'_ isn't some weird threat. Is it? Holy shit, what _is_ this guy? "You saw something that will interest me. Tell me what it is." Was this some warped guessing game? No way is this for real. That hand was still there. That cold gas was beginning to seep into the five other boys. What did he want to hear? There had been tons of shit they had seen. Their stealth skills gave them pass into places they had never thought existed, to sites and scenes only otherwise available through computer enhanced cinema.

"What... would you like to hear... Master." The leader managed. It was all too weird now. He would've preferred just the beating.

"This was... recent... Who did you confront?" What _was_ he? Who _did_ they confront? They confronted a couple different people... which-

It was one of the minor members of the group that answered. "Turtles." He had raised his head too. _Not this again_. "We confronted two turtles." They weren't even sure if it _was_ turtles. "But we didn't attack." They hadn't attacked _anyone_, although they had insinuated as much to their friends in the last few days. Which was no doubt why they found themselves in the Master's room that night. Their first face to face meeting with their sensei.

"Why was this." The phrase was not inflected like a question, but it was served as much. They had heard talk, from those who talked, old rumors really, about these turtles. That the Master didn't like them. That when they were seen, which none of the ninjas they spoke with had ever done so, that they were to treat them hostilely. Reportedly excellent ninja's themselves, information was equally as valuable, as it was attained much easier than any of their heads. But given the circumstances of their chance meeting with the 'turtles,' they had kept it all a secret.

"We didn't know if they were turtles." The leader filled in quickly, before his friend opened his mouth again, which he was preparing to do. "They wore regular clothes, and had hair... Master."

"Then why did you think they were turtles."

"Their skin was green. They had turtle faces." The boy spoke again, quickly. "We followed them out of a store. They were definitely turtles." He looked to his other friends, looking like wet shivering dogs in their skin tight dogis. They glanced at him nervously, only because the Master wasn't facing their way to see the indecision. In the past two weeks they had been convincing themselves why they hadn't seen turtles. Now, under their Master's interrogation, the cold room, they weren't so sure.

"So you did see the turtles. And you did not attack."

"Well..." The boy began. "They were _girls_."

"Girls."

"Aren't the turtles boys? That's what we heard. So we didn't attack. And they didn't attack us. So, we kind of left them there. They weren't really doing anything."

"I see."

"Did we do wrong?" Yes, you idiot. Yes, we did wrong. Moron.

"Where."

"Uh... I dunno. It was outside a gas station. Across from a gas station, Mobile, I think it was. It was a while ago, you know?" Why was he so casual with him? This wasn't a friend's dad, this was our Master. Our Father. Had he no respect?

"Anything else."

"_Yes_. They were stealing. We saw them steal food." He said confidently. The hand lowered, and the chair turned smoothly. His confidence drained. Everything drained through the floor. 

His face, so smooth, so fine. Classic japanese. Jet black hair, cut short, slicked back, except for a few shards of bangs. But all of that was a blur, in comparison to those eyes. Small, intense, piercing. Blue. Not American blue, that European blue, this blue, the color of ice. Ice at the heart of a glacier. Unnatural. It was startling. It was chilling.

It was fascinating.

"Very well." He was done with us. His face, his beautiful face, his youthful face, looked us each in the eyes solidly. He hypnotized us with those eyes. What were we talking about again? "Report to the dojo below. Tell Master Ikari that you shall each receive one hundred lashes." Yes. To the dojo. Get lashes. "You," His eyes turned, like a lighthouse beacon, to the younger boy. "Shall receive an extra twenty-five lashings for speaking out of line." He nodded dumbly. "Twenty-five for how you spoke." We all nodded dumbly. "And fifty less for being forthwith." More nodding. "And you," He turned to the leader. The tallest. "Shall receive fifty extra lashings for trying to deceive me." Nod, nod. Yes. Lashings. "You are dismissed." The six stood up, bowing their heads reverently while trying not to be obvious as they scurried from the room. The cold air snagged onto them like spider webs as they left, and closed the door behind. A wash of warmth, relief, and fear fell over them, and they reclined like heavy bags of potatoes against the walls. "Go now." The clear ice voice spoke through the door, and they all scuttled off.


	9. Why won't you staaaaay, just a little bi

~~Dear peoples- So sorry that this took so long to get out. After stumbling my way through the first version, I decided to scrap the whole thing and start over. Then my only disk was corrupted and I had to find fresh ones. So it was crazy. I'm hoping that it all was worth it, and the chapter is good. And I promise _*shakes clasped hands in the air* Promise _to get the subsequent chapters out in the timely manner.

Of course, if you yourself, the reader, wishes to speed this process along, you can always, oh, I dunno review me? Ok, maybe you don't have to. But it would be nice ^_^ No pressure. Goodtimes. Here you are! Enjoy!

~~

"Sonovabitch, Mercy. You are not, repeat _not_,' spending another day cooped up in there. You're driving us fucking nuts. Talk about a turtle in her shell."

"Don't remind me." 

"You're taking _for-EV-errr_. Food's gunna be _all gooone_... Ok, I'm carrying you... **_ACHK_**! _Get your hand out of my face!_... You're stupid." Raphael glanced up from a pile of metal parts, and cold coils. The door of Don's garage was ajar, and he heard each word of Hope and Mercy as they passed by, their not so quiet scrapping disturbing the holiness of his brother's storage garage. The little snake-necked desk lap, which shone over his pile of grimy sheet metal, flickered with age. Raphael sighed and rubbed his hands off on the grease rag by his side.

The small space heater had been tucked in the back of Casey's truck, in the camper full of all the crap he hadn't taken with him when he moved in with April. It was a pain to rassle out, and Raphael worried he may have damaged one of the heating coils in his efforts. Donatello had told him to leave it in his garage for him to work on later, because it had been dead long before Raphael had tugged it out, and needed fixing. But the lair was quiet that afternoon. And there was nothing but cleaning to do, unless he wanted Leonardo's wrath about being lazy. And avoiding Leo was the only rule that he felt like sticking to for the moment.

So he had taken up the space heater. While he was by no means as skillful as Don, Raph had a fair hand at mechanics. He could definitely dismantle the thing. And it kept him out of Leo's path. Besides, Don was to busy buzzing around, fixing all the things in the lair he had been putting off. Until the time he and Leo would want the place to run smoothly. Don was overwhelmed with the work that had built up. The heater would be Raph's responsibility now, he was the one who found it anyway. The sooner the girls had a heater of their own... well, the sooner they would be warm.

It gave him a reason to go in the lab.

Clipping off the lamp light, Raphael emerged into the hall, wiping the remnants of aged grease from his fingers. _I'm pitiful_. He never needed a reason to go in the lab before. What had happened, that he was no longer safe in his own home?

His path lead him past the lab. He wasn't planning on looking in, his room was just beyond. He had no business anywhere else. But something drew him near. He realized it was sound, or something like it. Mercy and Hope were out, as he had heard. He would have noticed Bliss returning, because she would've been followed by one of his brothers. The lab should be empty. It should be quiet. Almost quiet.

Not intending to leave the safe hall itself, Raphael stopped outside the lab door. He peered in on Angel. Steering clear of the lab had only left him with a more vivid picture of the girl in the bed. She lay were he had laid dozens of times before, when he had been broken. He could almost imagine--_nope. Not going to imagine that._

She had stirred from her statically calm pose. Her arms moved to her sides, and her head twisted imperceptibly as it raised up from the pillow. Though she hadn't seen him, he had seen her eyes. She was waking, and she was alone. Her knees rose and fell under the blanket. He found a peaceful serenity watching her move, as he had felt watching any girl he had studied. He couldn't think of leaving his hidden viewpoint. Very soon though, gentle stirrings of awakening became a frantic thrashing, as her head wiped around the room, trying to kick her way up. Her eyes were wild, and found the syringe in her arm like a bee stabbing her skin. Still wrestling her way up from gravity and linen blankets, her hand snatched the needle, ripping it out before Raphael could grab her.

"_Woah!_" He seized her wrist and then her hip, steadying her on the now rickety cot. She shrieked and nearly tried to jumped off the other side of the bed. Holding her steady, he kept her from tumbling to the floor. "**_Fuckin' easy!_**" He barked. "_Easy! It's ok._" He added, seeing as his loud voice seemed to only alarm her more so. She was rigid under his hands, nearly shuddering with tension. Her eyes had become fixed on him, pin-point pupils training on his face. She was recognizing him. "It's ok. I'm here." _Why the fuck would she care?_ Raphael thought briefly. "You're all right. It's ok." Without removing his hold on her wrist, he loosened his grip. She was breakable beneath him. And he crushed things so easily.

Her breathing faltered, still stumbling after an even pattern. And searching his face, her blue eyes began to relax. He didn't however. The needle swung beside him, hanging uselessly from the elevated hook, and beginning to drip onto his foot. Angel was taught under his hands, and cold to the touch. His hands were beginning to tingle. Suddenly he felt a full flash of cold. It washed over his body like a split-second breeze, and he realized that her hand was over his. Raphael glanced at it, her hand laying over his, then looked back at her eyes. They were soft and blue, still startled, but showing their growing relief. Her body was softening for him. His memory was reminding him of how he carried her home. How she had been soft then too. How she folded into his arms. How she smelled liked fresh water. He wanted to get closer, to see if she still smelled that way. Why was it he only saw her in this incapacitated fashion? This was the second or third time he had been with her when she was too weak to even sit with him. Something was definitely wrong with that. And he was going to make Don up those antibiotics to make sure it never happened again.

But now all he could feel was her hand over his, eyes for him to swim in, and that smooth reptilian skin more refined than his own. And all he could think was to keep her warm. Keep her warm, then keep her forever...

"*_Achem._*" The sudden noise shot him back into his five sense. Mercy was at the door, looking less than thrilled to see him at her station. Her eyes said what do you think _you're_ doing?,' her mouth tightened to a straight line. Too stunned to speak, Raphael took his hands off Angel, backing away as Mercy took his place. "Excuse me." She said politely. He had the greatest implausible fear that she knew what he had been thinking. That his thoughts were out to air, helpless before her. Mouth gaping, it took him several moments to reason with himself that she couldn't possibly know. She was just standing in the doorway. Not practicing voodoo, or that shit. He was still overcoming his startlement when Mercy turned to him once again. She had just taken Angel's hand in her own, comforting, looking her over like a mother, and now turned her attentions back to Raphael, who hadn't move from where she had put him. "Um..." Her fingers came out, clasping his shoulder with a feminine strength. Finding himself too stunned by the whole scene to protest, he was pushed, guided out of the room. Walking in reverse, he saw the walls and lights and Angel retreat in the corners of his eyes, under the deliberate force of Mercy; who was at least a head shorter than him. She placed him in the hall and removed her hand lightly. "Yeah..." 

The door shut in his face.

Raphael stayed frozen outside the door. Feet nailed to the floor, he had to think. _What just happened?_ His mind hurried to catch up with the rest of the world. He wished he hadn't been at home. Angel scared the fuck out of him. Mercy's accusing eyes, filling the room with her presence. She had shown up so fast. Then he knew everything. 

Why Mercy had been in the lab all along. Why she never wanted Angel to be alone. Protecting her from waking in the unknown. He knew it now. And it drew his mind away from the shame he felt for his earlier thoughts. 

The murmuring of voices drew him closer again to the door. Mercy's voice vibrated thoughtlessly through the wood, and he could pick up some of the phrases. She launched into a tirade after a few moments. 

"....got five minutes alone.......*sigh* These guys... All your fault.... Not even _lucid_... No help at all...." Her tone sounded exaggerated from how he had heard her before. "Hope you feel guilty.... lazy wench." It was impossible to tell if she was scolding her, or just playing. It seemed to be both. "...Fall all over each other... kiss our feet. It's weird." Raphael smirked. He also had noticed how his brothers were stumbling over each other to please this or that girl first. Running all over the place to get things for them, fixing and cleaning the place so they wouldn't stub a pretty little toe. They were so stupid.

Suddenly the voice dropped low, and he felt ashamed at how he had been clumsily eavesdropping. Reeling back from where his ear was pressed to the door, Raph drew himself up to his full height. His beak was feverish and he didn't know how long it had been that way. _What am I doing? I've had enough of this! No more. I'm done. I don't care._ With that, he stormed as composed as possible out of the hall. The air was heavy and pregnant through the lair and he hated it.

He found Don under the kitchen sink. It took a quick kick to the shin to rouse him, and he emmerged with an expectant grin that Raph hated. He felt like delivering a swift punch.

"Angel's up. There you go." He delivered the message with brevity, implying more than his brother would grasp. But Don was up and on his way out before he could notice. Raph followed only because he was on his way to his room, which was closer to the lab than he would've liked. It was solitude he desired. Mostly from all these girls and their legs and eyes, but also from himself. _That's it._ He decided. He would leave at nightfall. Maybe for a few days. Get away from this all. Get far away. Go to Casey's. He had to get away from these girls and their legs and eyes. He had to forget about himself again.

~~

Time is passing!

~~

The washbasin, pulled out from under the sink. Pink and stained. Retired from duty after enduring four growing boys. Having already lived a a children's lifetime of adventure. A story teller. The skid marks along the bottom, when it had been a sled. The black ring along the inside, when ink had been poured into the water, to make even more ink. Because one can never have enough ink. And the orange discoloration in the bottom, from when wisdom teeth had been pulled, and the blood collected in the helpless basin.

Leonardo watched as Mercy filled the pink basin in the bathroom sink. Her small hands curled around the worn rims, where his hands had been countless times. She was not looking at him, but he had the distinct sense that she was acknowledging his presense. The bathroom seemed brighter than usual with her in it, as if thethe lights were even brighter.

"I didn't know what exactly to get." Fishing his hand into the plastic bag he held, still standing in the open doorway, Leonardo retrieved the cylindrical bottle from within. The plastic of it was poor, he could crush the whole thing with his hand. Not too hard, or the top would pop off. "This one said shampoo and conditioner.' I thought it might save you some time." He offered her the bottle, which she took gratefully.

"Thank you. It's perfect." She tucked the bottle, filled with the translucent gel, under her arm, and turned off the faucet. "Do you have any extra towels?" Sliding her arms beneath the basin, she lifted it off the sink.

"Yeah, sure." Leonardo slid in behind her, taking down his and Don's towel from the rack. They were the only ones not crumpled beneath on the floor. He slung them over his arm before Mercy could reach for them, making it clear that he would carry them for her. He would've rather taken the water basin, but it didn't seem likely that she would agree to that.

"Thank you." She nodded, and left the bathroom. Following behind, Leonardo turned off the light, which seemed dimmer already. He shadowed Mercy out, through the kitchen, into the living room. Her steps were measured and slow, as the water was sloshing side to side with each movement she made. The bottle under her arm could not have made it much easier. She was carrying too much, and she must've known it. But she would not stop and ask for his help. Leonardo frowned. _There is no shame in admitting her load is too great_. 

He couldn't stand seeing her in need, and not help. "Mercy, wait." He quicked his pace, coming to her side. "Please, let me take that."

"I got it, thanks."

"You're about to fall over." He contradicted her. "Please. Let me help." Mercy slowed to a stop, watching the surface of the water sway violently. She looked up at Leonardo. What did he _want_? She wondered. There must be something behind the kind consideration, she concluded. "Please." His hands reached out, not far enough to be a demand, but enought to ask. She probed at his mind, looking for that pride of his that would trying to take control of her. For the condescending words that she wouldn't be able to do it.' She found them in most men that approached her like this. Those men who her family had asked to court her. The arrogance was overwhelming in them. She looked for it in Leonardo's eyes. She looked for the arrogance, the conceit, pretension. 

Almost glaring into his face, she offered him the basin cautiously, her search fruitless. For the moment. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Leonardo took it from her, while she took the towels from his arm and wrapped the bottle inside them. "Thank you." Mercy turned and continued walking. _It didn't mean anything,_ she told herself. Nothing at all...

The lab was brighter than it had been in the last few days. Don bustled about, updating his forms, checking the home-made machines. Angel was sitting up in bed, and smiled at the arrival of Mercy and Leo.

"Hey, you're looking better." Mercy noted. She set her things on the foot of the bed, Leonardo placing the basin on one empty place of Don's counters.

"Yeah. Don and I were actually talking about me being up and around by tonight."

"You were talking." Don smiled and flicked the saline drip a few times. "She needs to be resting a few more days, I think." Angel shrugged.

"Well then, a few more days it is." Leo said. Angel and Mercy both turned their eyes to him, eyebrows quirking.

"Oh, really..." Mercy mumbled.

"_What's the stuff for?_" Angel asked, seeing that Mount Mercy was preparing to erupt.

"Yeah, uh." Turning away from the now confused Leonardo, Mercy pulled the shampoo bottle from the roll of towels. "Thought you might like your hair washed."

"You're kidding." Angel's eyes went wide with longing. The last time she had washed her hair had been before the fight, two weeks at least. Even then, it was by cold hose water in an alleyway. Time had left her hair bedraggled, knotted, and slick with oils.

"Warm water." Mercy's fingers flitted in the nearby basin. She smirked at Angel's rare elaited expression. "Look, _tow_-els."

"Oh. My. God." Angel was on the brink of shaking. Don tried to hid his sniggering, turning away from his work.

"Would you guys excuse us for a little while?" Mercy asked nicely, a proud smirk on her face. The two brothers exited quietly and closed the door behind them, free of charge. Giggling, Mercy picked the basin back up, bringing it back behind the head of Angel's bed. "Move down." She set it down in the place of the pillow, which Angel moved aside as she scootched down on the cot. Taking the purple towel, Mercy folded it over several times, resting it on the rim of the basin where Angel's neck laid back. "Here." She scooped Angel's hair up as she lowered her head back into the basin, straightening her legs out below her.

Moaning with a forgotten pleasure, Angel closed her eyes, letting the warm water swallow her scalp whole. Cupping water in her hands, Mercy poured the clear liquid over the top of Angel's head. Her hair, ratted and rolled so one could see the green beneath it, softened, flowing into rivulets down to the water. There it swam freely, choking the pink basin with it's infinate amount of golden colored strands. Angel sighed as the nerve-shattering itch that had bothered her for weeks was soothed to silence, and her hot head was relieved.

A quarter size of blue gel filled Mercy's smooth green palm. She looked again at Angel, the dirty hair filling the expanse of the tub walls already. Crushing her hand around the bottle, the top sputtered to release more soap into her palm. Once her fingers began to drip with goo, she set the bottle straight. Running off her fingers into Angel's hair, the blue gel dripped slowly down into the basin, resting upon the surface momentarily, until it seemed saturated with water and sunk under.

Mercy caressed Angel's crown, smearing the soap into her hair with supple fingers. Gathering the graceful mass in the water, she pressed the rest of the gel into it, producing a few happy bubbles. Massaging it, the blue and ice colored bubbles multiplied, pressed pleasantly firm against the cool scalp. Angel sighed, under the influence of the folical massage. Before long, she felt parts of herself relax that she never had knew were tense. _Ahh..._

"......_They asked us to stay_." Mercy's voice was little more than a whisper. Angel opened her eyes to catch the last strains of her words. 

"What?"

"...Last night." Mercy continued. "They asked us if we wanted to stay here. With them." She began picking at a particularly nasty dred. A few moments passed. A silence descended again. Broken only by the occasional plish' of the water, and two steady sets of breathing. Mercy sighed.

"... What did you say?" Angel asked. A moment of contemplation passed. She lifted her eyes up, gazing at the underneath of Mercy's face. 

"......Bliss wants to stay.... Hope... doesn't know." She ran her fingers through the free mass of hair. "She likes it here... but she understands why we're on our own. She's waiting for us to decide." Wiping away a stream of bubbles that languidly rolled towards Angel's eyebrow, Mercy fell silent again. She dipped her hands back in the fine wet weeds and closed her mouth.

"... And you?" Angel asked, her voice softer. Her friend had a firestorm of opinions, and it was no question that she had a quite passionate one for this as well.

"We've been getting on fine on our own, I don't see why we would have to move in here. We aren't children." She responded. Her fingers twisted around the swells of hair, flexxing their tension. Angel winced.

"You're right," She reached back, taking Mercy's wrist in her hand, pulling it out of the water. "we're not children." The fingers curled around hers, intertwining. Water seeped down her arm.

"Than you agree with me."

"I don't know." Angel answered. Mercy frowned. "Did you give them an answer?"

"No."

"Well." She continued. "... I'll be here for the next few days at least... We don't need an answer until then."

"You're staying?" Mercy's frown deepened.

"I'm still out of it, Merce. I can feel it. It's best if I stay a few more days." She gave Mercy's hand a squeeze. "We're not going to have a repeat of what happened last time." She decided. Mercy growled her disaprooval for this decision. Angel looked up through the faltering lights to her friend. "You don't have to stay. You and Hope and Bliss can go back, and I'll meet you there later."

"Yeah. I don't think so."

"Merce,"

"If you're staying, than so are we." Mercy resumed washing Angel's hair. "Not leaving you here _alone_. You nuts?" Angel chuckled, closing her eyes again with a shake of her head. "We'll stay. And you better make you're mind up soon." She paused for a moment. "Well, maybe not too soon..." She grinned corruptly. "Mikey's been making lots of good food to lure us into staying."

"Oh." Angel smirked. "...... So it's _Mikey_' now?"


	10. Leonardo

~~

__

We need money. I can't believe we have to ask them for this. It's embarrassing. I surveyed our cabinets again, hoping to see something there Don and I had missed the last three times we searched them. Nothing. We had looked and looked again because we had wanted to make sure. I felt bad asking for their food. It felt as if we had taken them in, in their hour of need, and now we were wanting to be compensated. Which is what it was, almost.

No, it's not compensation. We just didn't have enough. Usually we scrounged by on what we had on hand. Mike made a big thing of soup that would last several days. Popcorn was cheap and easy, and kept awhile, though it would become a little stale. But these last few days our population had doubled. The refrigerator and cabinets were bare. Mike had used the last of the bread and butter making lunch. And somehow we didn't think that Don's stash of animal crackers would do for dinner.

The problem? The same one since birth. No money. We were nearly broke, at least that's what my brothers pleaded. And I only had twelve dollars to my name. It might've been enough for two pizza's, if we got the bare basics. But the four of us generally polished off three on our own. Pizza was out. Which left shopping. With only twelve dollars, in the daylight. The pizza seemed more feasible. 

Even if we _did_ buy our food. What about after that? We really would be penniless. And foodless. Casey and April were at the farm, so they couldn't help out. _We're fucked_, I thought. I didn't want to have to asked them for this. They were _our_ guests. We were terrible hosts. 

So no, it was not compensation. Just survival.

"You want me to ask?" Donatello asked. I was looking into the cabinets, almost willing the shelves to fill. Don wanted to lessen my embarrassment, but it was my responsibility. I should've foreseen this. I mean, it was logical that we would run out of food. I had to start thinking, get on top of the situation.

"No. I'll do it." With a firm resolution, I turned and headed for the lab. This was my duty. And I had enough pride to swallow my pride. Someone had to do it. And I was always most able. I knew Don didn't have the stomach for it, anyway. I saw how he froze up, even if it was momentarily, in front of the girls before he spoke. Mike was still too young for these sort of obligations. And Raph... Raph, that was a good question.

Raph had been in the lair almost continually these past weeks, and had been relatively quiet as well. He hadn't shown any of the signs of a brewing storm, or even spoken crudely that much for the matter. He hadn't acted that way since before Splinter died. And his door was open. 

While the appearance of the girls had hit us all out of the stadium, Raph was acting a little more out of character than what I would've expected. I knew my brother well enough, like a researcher would know a rhinosauros in the wild, and so I recognized the open door as a trial of blood left on the plains. Something was wrong.

I was by no means eager to coax my brother to speak. His silence was a sort of blessing, and it felt as though I was poking a sleeping snake simply to see if it was dead. With my bare hand. But if there was something more serious at hand, then now was the time to find out. And if I did piss off Raph, well, his departure may actually be handy right now. And visiting my brother was a good excuse to avoid speaking with the girls for a few more minutes.

Stepping into the doorframe, I saw that Raph's room had changed little since I had last seen it. Cluttered with things which I did not know where he found, or how he got them inside, and smelling strangely of cinnamon. He did not follow the teachings of Feng Shui as Master Splinter and I had, somehow I thought maybe he would be happier if he did. His bed pointed right at me, directing all his energy right out the door. So I wasn't particularly surprised that he looked drained.

Raphael sat on the bed sheets, knees up and head down. His two main fingers propped up his forehead, while his thumb absently stroked the side of his eye. He was deep in thought, for once, and I considered letting him be.

"*Achem*" His head whipped up to see me, eyes wide as dinner plates. So much for a ninja's sixth sense. I smiled wide, and his surprise quickly turned to anger.

"Wha'dya want." He growled. Dropping my smile, I was sure to show Raph that I meant no major irritation.

"I want to know what's going on." I stated. His frown was compounded with clenched teeth.

"Nothing. Now get out." This was going better than I had expected. He hadn't threatened to tear my throat out, so I stepped inside, closing the door behind me quietly. "Wha'dya got your dick crammed in your ear? I said _leave_." I decided not to admit I had heard him, and came around the side of the room, sitting on the end of his bed.

"Something's up with you, and I want to know what it is before you go _kichigai_ with the girls watching." I said. The corners of his downturned mouth twisted into a wry smile, half his eyeridge raising as if to say is that _it_?' His eyes rolled back and he gave an imperceptible shake of his head. 

"Fuck you." He responded. "Get off my bed."

"I'm serious. You could really scare them, Raph." I had hoped that this would snap him out of his funk. But he seemed more bemused by me mentioning it.

"Get _off_."

"They've had a hard enough time adjusting here. And you _know_ how flighty they've been around us. You've been in one of your moods, and if you snap with them around we may never _see_ them again."

"Oh, so _that's_ what this is about? You're afraid of them running off?" Raph countered. I paused. I didn't want him to know I was concerned about him, for he would definitely not take me seriously then. "You're pitiful, you know that?"

"What are you talking about?" I frowned. He sneered his disgust at me.

"All yer honor and ninjitsu, and all you can think about is eating, sleeping, and procreating with anything green. You make me sick sometimes, Leo." Was he calling me coarse? Who did he think he was, anyway? This was the same person who had swears and dirty pictures carved into his desk. And I think pragmatically about our lives so I must be a dog. For the sake of conversation, or what was shaping up to be an argument, I decided to let most of what he said slide. _The girls are across the hall, this isn't the place for a fight._

"Look Raph." I began, drawing his withdrawn expression my way. "I don't know what your problem is right now, but I'm not the enemy." I thought a moment. "And I don't see why you're not concerned about the girls like the rest of us are." I smirked. "They don't have cooties' you know." He groaned at this. At least he understood. "I shouldn't have to be the one to tell _you_ to loosen up."

"Then don't."

"All right." I ceded, prepared to wrap up our meeting.

"Go see your _tenshi_ and get out of my sight." I ignored this as well, as there was little I cared to argue with him about. And Raph _always_ had some smart alec remark to traditionally kick me out. This had gone well enough though. It had been basically the way I liked it, one-sided. _My_-sided. I stood back up, liberating the end of Raphael's bed, and made my way back to the door. "But if you ever want to talk about this, you can always come to me." I knew that wouldn't go over that well. I had to take him off guard a little before this conversation was over, and he had shut me out completely. "Or the girls, if you liked." I smirked again genially. I had just opened the door, and didn't expect to hear another word from my brother, other then some expletive, or crude demand to leave him in peace. Just stepping into the hallway, he called my name.

"They're human, you know." My foot stuck to the floor. I was facing the other direction, but could tell Raphael's eyes looked hard into me. My eyes flickered around the hall, looking for a response. I turned slowly, unsure what I might find behind me.

"They were human." I corrected him. I could only think of their green skin, turtle heads, Don's voice as he told me of Angel's plastron and shell. A human wouldn't have a shell.

"They're human." Raphael's eyes were distant, but strong all the same. They bore in on mine, but weren't challenging for a change. I waited, as the quiet turning of the Earth slowed to a stop.

I hardly noticed Raphael getting off his bed. I was too busy trying to deny what he had said. And scolding myself for not being able to. I had the briefest glimpse of my brother gathering his leather pack off the floor, the hostility drained away from him so soon. He pulled his trench on, then slung the pack over his shoulder. The lights were going out, and he came to the hall, having to pass me by. His face had that unreadable quality, the one where I didn't know whether or not he would attack. He was stopping beside me and I made no show of sizing him up.

"Don't think they wouldn't turn us in in a second if they could have their bodies back."

Raphael left the lair.

~~

**Translations-shmations-

__

Kichigai - crazy, insanity, etc.

__

Tenshi- angel


	11. Raphael

Raphael~

A warm breeze drifted along Raphael's skin. He turned slowly, grass and flowers caressing his unpadded knees like wisping silk. Open sky and sun breathed the old cold out of him, and he began to smile. The field stretched on into expanse, meeting the cerulean blue sky along the stretched horizon. No humans. 

He lifted his foot and stepped forward, the sway of tall flowers dividing for his every thought. The puckering red and white buds bloomed around him. They funneled down over the knee-high grasses toward a valley in the field, where the grasses were pressed aside. He smiled as he came upon it, looking over the grass tips to the divine body laying in the midst of flower sprays.

Angel's hand held a shimmering white flower between her breasts. Her tan plastron glowed beneath it in a small halo of light. _Raphael_. She greeted him, eyes smiling. He took her outstretched hand and lifted her to her feet. Her laughter was like wind chimes. The flower glittered magnificently, like crushed glass as she changed it into his hand, her fingers traveling up his arm. 

He let his arm draw around her and pull her close. He could even feel the smoothness of her shell against the inside of his arm. Unlike that he had felt before. Her arms embraced him, she embraced him, into something warm and soft.

"Mine?" His hands trailed over her shell's curves, running the flower's petals along the rim.

"Yes, yours." She pulled him in closer.

"You should know, it isn't so wise. We're most vulnerable when we sleep alone." That cold familiar voice cut me out of sleep. As effectively as a punch in the face. I opened my eyes but held my breath hard. It was still pitch dark, like always in the bomb shelter, but from the direction of the voice he had to be in the narrow hollow beside the bed. It was the only space for him, if he wasn't sitting on top of me.

My stomach and face were flat on the mattress, as always my back was well defended. I could draw my head inside in a second if needed, but I stayed out for the moment. "You could've at least invested in a good pad lock."

"Seven years and you're the first guest I've had." The room was cold when I sat up. If Kage wanted to kill me he would've gotten it over with already. "What are you doing here." The utility bulb was cracked on, snapping the room bright. Kage was perched up on the shallow protuberance of the wall, dressed in some slick black suit that didn't belong in the grunge. 

"Visiting." He checked out the room with those weird blue eyes of his, like he was looking for all the cracks he could slip into. "Hmm."

"What do you want, Kage." I wasn't up for games that early in the morning. Or ever. "...Did you bring any of your foot soldiers with you?"

"No. Not today." His eyes eventually returned to me. "I only came to chat."

"Then make with it. I'm trying to sleep." I told him. He laughed. The same old laugh. I wondered if he was about to pull out a bottle of whiskey. If he would talk our old talks. Spar, and shoot the shit until the sun came back up. Those were familiar memories, and ones that shouldn't have been made in the first place.

But that was the in the past. We weren't buddies no more. Kage had the foot clan now. And I was his sworn enemy. I should've tried to break his neck, but some manners had me pause. We did go back a few years.

"A few years? Is it that long?" He said, raising his eyes to the pipes in the ceiling. I frowned.

"You said you couldn't read my mind." I should've known not to trust him. He _had_ told me that he couldn't read my thoughts. Then again, maybe it was my own fault for believing that his supernatural powers would some how be deterred by a turtle shell. 

"Yeah, and I lied." My increasing glare only made him smile. "It made you feel better, didn't it? More secure..." I felt ready to strangle him. "Oh come on. I never used anything against you. I was just... getting a better picture of my friend." I struck up a mental wall against him, just in case he tried that again. He smirked.

"We're not friends, Kage." I had made the mistake of taking off my belt and weapons before going to sleep. It was beside the bed, an arms length away, too far for comfort. I still had my hands though. I was wagering an even bet between us fighting or parting ways with all our limbs attached.

"Of course." He said quietly. "So that is why this visit is only a courtesy call."

"Courtesy call?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Despite _your_ feelings, I still hold an honor between us, Raphael. Even though I've disappeared from your life, you have not disappeared from mine. And so I've come to give you warning." I felt his icy mind tugging at my mental roadblock. I focused my energy and gave him a mental punch in the face back. He smirked, the only display that he felt anything, if he felt it at all, and he continued on without mentioning it. "It has come to my attention, the existence of two more turtles. Mutants like you and your brothers'. They are girls, who dress in your poor fashion, and walk freely in the night." I sat back against the wall, not feeling any need to correct his math. "Some of my men happened upon them, mistaking them for you, and nearly attacked." He seemed amused.

"You mean they didn't? Why the hell not?" I asked. His amusement wavered. "Maybe you should be busy training your men, rather than coming by to give me information I already have."

"Because that's not what I came to tell you, Raphael-san." He said slowly, getting up from his seat. "Don't be mistaken. My... aquaintenceship with you will have no bearing on our dealings with these creatures from now on. If my soldiers ever happen across either of them again, we will be sure to make waste of them in every _immediate_ fashion." I hid a scowl behind clenched teeth as he moved towards the narrow stairs, toward the hatch door. "Maybe you should take it personally, Raphael. For you see, even when we were _friends_, I never wanted to see you with children. They would only be more thorns in the preverbal Foot, like your family." The bulb light flickered, suddenly going dead. The room dropped into blackness as it had before. "Your line will end with you and your brothers, if I have to see to it personally." He ascended the stairs and had closed the hatch before I could grab my belt. With it in one hand, I stumbled over the dark mass of bed and up the stairs, punching the door open with the heel of my hand. 

There was only dim light collected from the cavernous storage barn, just enough to see by in the early evening. Just enough to see it empty. There were enough shadows for Kage to escape through, and I knew he was long gone. The little shit had vanished on me before I could get a word or a fist in. I had a feeling that our aging friendship had just turned.

~A.N. Yay! Another chapter! And don't worry, there are more on my computer to boot. So please review, because it makes me all smiley on the inside ^_^ And it makes the next update just that much sooner.

~Sasami!


	12. The Fair part one

Swirling lights, streaking a path back to their beginning and then around again. Hundreds of single bulbs. Bright and intense by themselves, lively as part of the pixilated whole. Against the black night they glared into millions of tiny starbursts, and transformed the parkinglot into a blinking chaos. The fair was in town.

Through the cacophony of voices and music, seven figures stepped through the entrance gates. They looked little different than the other crowds of pre-adolescent kids that were visiting the fair past their bedtime. Except they were nearly a decade older than the younger fair-goers. 

"Mike, why don't you get about..." Leo thumbed through his freshly filled wallet, pulling a few bills up contemplatively. He kept the cash hidden like a hand of cards inside the crowd that had formed around him. Moving in front of Bliss and Don, Mike grabbed a handful of Leo's wallet.

"About thirty bucks worth? Sure!" He moved back through again and sprinted for the ticket booth. Don, Bliss, Hope, Mercy, and Angel chuckled as he made it to the waiting line. Leonardo scowled, closing his considerably lighter wallet, and sticking it back in his pants pocket. 

"Where should we start?" Don asked, careening his neck to see the three different avenues that opened to them, into the village of booths and rides. "There's almost no lines in every direction."

"Must be a school night." Angel surmised. "What day is it, anyway?"

"I dunno. But check out that dragon! Sweet!" Hope squealed, having spotted a gilded stuffed dragon the size of a large dog. It hung happily from the frame work of a game booth. "I'm gunna win it."

"I think we should stick together to begin with. You girls haven't been here before, and we don't want anyone to get lost." Leo decided.

"What, you think we can't find our way through a _parkinglot_?" Mercy quipped.

"I'll stick with _you_, Leo." Bliss took her place at Leo's side.

"It's busy here, and we'd _never_ risk this much exposure under any other circumstances. So it'll be best if you stay by us, and learn from our experience." He countered. Mercy rolled her eyes, but didn't protest again. Mike returned with streams of tickets in his fists, and a grin all across his beak. "Where's the change?" Leo asked.

"What change?" Mike began counting out tickets.

"You got kid tickets, right? Adult tickets cost nearly twenty-five percent more." Don took a line of red tickets and looked them over. "Mikey! These are-"

"Yeah, I don't know about _you_ guys. But I know _I'm_ old enough for adult tickets. I'm no kid." Mike said authoritatively.

"You retard! You spent ten bucks to get a different colored ticket, you know that?" Don scowled. "Shit, non-refundable." He added, scrutinizing the fine writing.

"Did it ever occur to you that fair tickets aren't a basis to measure maturity." Leo took his line of tickets. "But don't worry... I'll find a way for you to pay us back."

"Man! I am _not_ cleaning your guyses rooms." Mike declared.

"If your room is any indicator of your personal cleanliness, I think I'd be better off without your service." Don folded his tickets up and stuck them in his coat pocket.

"No, I think you'll just be buying us all a pizza dinner sometime in the near future." Leo finished. Mike groaned.

"Fine. Whatever... so, you still leave your wallet in the top drawer in your dresser, right?" Mike grinned. Leo gave him a particularly disapproving look, crossing his arms slowly.

"Hey, where'd they go?" Don asked, turning around. The girls had quietly disappeared at some point during their conversation, leaving the three brothers standing alone in the open. They began searching the lanes of flashing lights, and mulling people who passed their lines of vision. Somewhere a loud ringing went off, and people yelled.

"Over there." Mike pointed down the far right avenue. Four girls, heavily dressed, were hanging around a game booth. Three of them reclined and sat on the counter while pig-tailed Hope wound up to throw a softball into the booth. 

"How did they sneak away so fast?" Don asked as they made there way over to the booth.

"They were probably in awe of Mike's burgeoning maturity." Leo added.

"Hey, _shut up!_" Mike pushed him back. "Don, what does burgeoning mean?"

"It means I want green peppers and meatballs on my pizza." His eyes followed the path of the ball as it struck the top most bottle in the stack, knocking it down to the ground. The young man running the game set the bottle back up and handed the ball again to Hope. He looked away distractedly, taking a languid drag on the cigarette posted between his lips. 

"Ladies!" Mike greeted. "So here you are." Hope wound up slowly, squinting hard at her target before she fired off. "You guys are quick. I thought I saw a cloud of dust behind you."

"Talk to her." Bliss motioned to Hope, who had missed her target entirely, and began rubbing her fists. "She practically flew over here for this damn dragon." The glittering dragon hung beside several other stuffed animals, all jumbo size prizes. 

"Last ball." The operator announced, handing the ball back, and beginning to eye the new pigeons. Donatello frowned, leering at the milk bottles from inside his black hoodie. He had seen real milk bottles before, but the ones perched on the stand were nearly twice as thick. The glass was foggy, as though there was an additive to make them look less threatening, despite the inch thick glass. But he had to turn his attention to Hope, as had his brothers and the three girls, as it was her throw again.

In the past, when they had come to the fair, they rarely played the games. The men (and a few women) running them were always getting too good a look. Skee ball was the only exception, as there were too many kids around for them to stand out, and they happened to be insanely good at it. Twenty-two years of precise muscle training had turned them into a quartet of skee-hawks.

The brow of the young Hispanic man began to tighten into premature stretches as he watched Hope winding back. Were those fingers on the ball _green_? Or was it just a trick of the light? He decided, for apathy's sake, that it was the latter and began musing again on what he would have for dinner. Hope licked her upper lip and fired. Her form was just as good as it had been pitching varsity softball.

It had only taken her two practices before she hit it straight on. The top bottle was thrown off the shoulders immediately. Number two leapt to the side, into the corner of the tent, while number three fell onto it's side, rolling along the platform's tiny edge before pitching off completely. The girls' happy and surprised squeals filled the night. None louder though than Hope's, who leapt in the air as if the ground had turned to a trampoline beneath her. The operator looked, and then looked again, disbelieving that this twelve year old had struck down all his bottles. Hope hooted, punching the air victoriously. Despite their own delight, the brothers looked around nervously. All this noise was bound to attract some attention.

"YES! YES! YES!" Hope screamed. "Oh!_ It's so good, it CAN'T be fat-free!_" She spun as she bounced. Her pigtails jumped off her shoulders, hardly held in place by her hat, which was quickly falling off. Before it did though she stopped her jumping, turning back to the booth. "I want that one! The _dragon_!" She pointed frantically to her prize, wagging her hand right in front of the man. His hesitation caused her to point harder, and Leo and Don were about to pull her back away from him.

"Sorry, little miss," The man began. "But you were over the line that time-good shot though-" He crossed back and forth in the little tent, collecting the three bottles and ball. "-so I'll let you have another three balls for just _three_ dollars. That's two dollars off, and you're definitely going to knock them all down this time-" He continued to ramble as he restacked the bottles. Angel, Mercy, and Bliss moved to close ranks.

"She was not over the line." Angel asserted. "Her back was straight."

"She won that shot! What the hell's your deal?" Bliss frowned.

"_You_ just don't want to give up until you've leeched at least twenty _bucks_ off someone." Mercy accused. The man continued his ramble unabated, a little more cajoling to bait Hope, but had stopped making meaningful eye contact. All four girls were up against the counter, and had forgotten their places completely.

"Girls," Leonardo stepped in, placing a hand on Mercy's shoulder and pulling her back gently. "Maybe she was over the counter."

"No she wasn't." Mercy mumbled, pulling back with Angel, Bliss following suit.

"Just try it again Hope, here, here's three bucks." Leo fumbled through his wallet to the blatant disapproval of Angel and Mercy. Hope and Bliss were still shooting daggers at the smug man behind the booth, pleased at what he saw in Leo's hands. "I know she wasn't cheating," He said under his breath. "but if this guy is going to be a jerk, you can't call him on it. Not anymore. It sucks, but that's the way it is. This isn't our domain up here, remember." He laid the three dollars on the counter, his hand tucked into his coat sleeve. The man picked up his prize and set the ball in its place.

The girls looked between one another. The ball sat on the counter. Four men waited with baited breath. Hope began to smile.

"Yeah Hope, play another round." Angel backed away. "Just make sure to stay away from that line."

"You'll win it this time." Mercy returned to her place at the end of the corner, beneath Hope's extravagant dragon. "Right Bliss?"

"Totally." She agreed. Leo, Don, and Mike breathed small sighs of relief. They were very close to being thrown out of the fair only minutes after coming into it. That only happened when Raph was there. Hope took the ball and a step back. She ran her fingers around the stitches, and seemed to examine every inch of it.

Bliss on the other hand had taken a seat on the other end of the counter from Mercy. "I'll watch the line for you." She announced, either to Hope or to the man, it was unclear. She swung one black legging leg over the side, so she straddled the counter completely. Her hands ran down her thighs, and rested flat on the board on either inside of her knees, as she watched Hope with a hawk like eye. The man also watched Hope, but drifted his line of vision towards Bliss' legs. She responded by shifting her thighs against the boards invitingly, still watching Hope's throw and miss.

"What the-okay." Mike said, watching Bliss as well. In fact, all three of them were watching. Hope threw again, missing by a mile, and griping quietly. No one was watching Mercy, as she cut the dragon down with the pocket knife. The operator on the opposite side of the lane, who should have been watching, was pitching his game to a very interested Angel. Hope threw her last ball, and missed a third time. Mercy was gone. The dragon was gone. Hope and Bliss declined the offer of another game, and left quickly. The turtles stood for a moment, looking for the group of them. But they had dispersed in opposite directions, into the shadows behind the booths, where wires spiderwebbed the ground. Angel suddenly appeared from behind a booth, and headed straight for them.

"Hey Angel, where'd you guys go?" Mike asked.

"This way," She said as she passed through them. "quickly." They picked up her pace, a determined stride towards another cluster of tents.

"Hey! _Wait_!" A voice called behind them. Don glanced over his shoulder. The operators were climbing over their counters, eyes fixed on them like missile locks.

"Let's split up." Angel slid her arm through Don's. "We'll meet back up in five."

"Right." Leo took Mike by the wrist, pulling him into a nearby crowd. Angel and Don careened off in the other direction. There was a split in the line of booths, and they entered into the mess of scaffolding and wires and darkness. No lights shined into the back alleys of the fair, and the couple tip-toed through cautiously by the light of the moon.

"Where are we going?" Don asked cautiously. More sirens went off for a winner at a booth beside them. They both jumped back.

"Some place to hid." Angel looked around for some crevice they would fit in. "Those guys will give up soon. Mercy took the dragon, and they want it back."

"Ah shit... We can't go back that way now, you know." He reminded her. "In here." There was a corner wedge in the scaffolding, hardly visibly to the naked eye in all the shadows, and perfect. They sat down on the ground, and could no longer see one another, tucked away inside the support structure of the fairground.

"No biggie. There's a dozen other places like that if they want to play the game again."

"And you don't?" Don asked, with just a bit of hopefulness in his voice.

"Eh. I've never really gone in for those games." Angel drew her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around them gingerly. Her one arm was still healing, and pervasively sore. "It's those ëget something for nothing' concepts. These games are totally set to suck you in and bleed you dry. I only play if I think I can actually win."

"Yeah, me too." Don leaned his head against a two-by-four. "I think I lost twenty-five dollars on one game once, and didn't win anything... I almost put another twenty in, when I figured out I was being played." He chuckled.

"It was Leo that stopped you, Don." A grave voice chided. The moon gave a fading sillouhette of Raphael standing over them. Don scowled.

"Don't do that." He moved aside after a moment, letting Raph into the protective shadow. "It's been two weeks, you know.Where the- where have you _been_? " His brother hunkered down beside him, drawing his knees out of the walkable path.

"Tiujuana." Raph stretched one leg out, closing the triangle in. "I needed some air... that a problem?" Don shook his head and dropped the issue.

"Tiujuana, you came back here?" Angel quipped with a smirk. Raph grunted, turning his head to look out into the maze of framework and trash bags.

"You've been?" Don asked, eager for a new subject. 

"No." She smiled at the ground. "But it does seem nice... Nice and warm that is." The brothers both looked at her. "I never felt so shitty and cold in September before." Don smiled.

"You've never been cold-blooded before, methinks."

"Good work, Sherlock." Raph muttered, surveying the inside of the fair again.

"You're not regulating your body temperature like you did as a mammal. It'll take you a little while to adjust to the climate changes. But I'll turn the heat up when we get home." Don assured her. They all sat in silence for a few moments. Don cautiously turned to his brother. "Leo's been pleasantly quiet about your sabbatical. Be warned."

"Yeah. I figured." As he spoke, a set of voices sounded loudly behind them. A man was asking about a group of kids that had ran by. The trio went silent. There was no response, and then the same question asked again, farther away, and softer. 

"Is something the matter?" Angel asked. "With Leo and you?" Don snorted.

"Everything is peachy." Raph answered.

"I see... so you guys fight?" She continued, oblivious to Don's caution filled eyes.

"As easy as they breathe." Don answered quickly. Raph turned from his examination of the outside to looked at Angel and his brother, smirking at his Don's hasty cover.

"So why did you leave? Did you have another fight?" Angel caught Raph's gaze finally.

"Yeah." He said monosylabically.

"It's been a little while now, why don't we go and find the others?" Don began to get up. No one else moved.

"What was the fight about?" Angel asked. She waited as a silence passed. Don was frozen halfway between standing and crouching, grasping the beams behind him for support. He secretly wanted to know what to fight was about also. The girls, he knew, wanted to know almost as much as he. Not being bound by the brothers' ëshut up or I'll shut you up' sibling clause, they had been firing questions in all directions since Raph's disappearance. They were suspicious. 

He suspected that Angel wasn't going to give up easily unless she had some sort of answer from the invisible man himself. And so he resigned himself for the moment to watch over them and see that no one made any glaring assault.

Raphael wasn't fazed. "It was us, wasn't it." Angel answered for him. Don looked to Raph for a response. Angel looked to Raph for a response. Raph stared, his jaw locked into hardened brick cement. The three were locked. Everyone waited.

"Let me then be the one to tell you," Angel continued, she had used the silence to prepare a soliloquy. Don frowned as the briefly disposed of politeness in her voice returned. "That while we're guests in your home, we're only that. It's an honor we're not taking lightly. And if you ask us to leave, Raphael, we will. Immediately. And without any questions." She stated.

"If _I_ ask you?" Raphael repeated. Angel nodded.

"We'll leave on your word."

"Um, Angel... _Raph_?" Don prodded. Darting back and forth between the two shadowy black faces, Don's eyes dilated with an apprehension. _They shouldn't be talking about this here, not without the others. _He was about to get up and do something about it when Raphael finally responded.

"All right." Was the answer. 

"....All right, _what_?" Don's eye ridge raised. Angel nodded. They were both oblivious to Donatello's voice, if not his presence, and his brow continued to a serious crease.

"Then let's go find everybody else." She set her hands on the earth and began launch procedure. Raphael pulled his leg in and stood gracefully before them. "I'm sure you're eager to see your brothers again." Don came behind her and helped her to her feet as they walked back into the quiet of the scaffolded path.

"Yeah. Exstatic." Raph noted to Angel beside him. He reached behind himself and shoved Don backwards as they made their way towards the exit.


	13. Fair part two

~Hello folks. Just a quick note here to welcome you to two fresh chapters of this particular story. And they're fresh indeed. It's the finals rush at school, and I'm not sure how these even got done. Since some people don't care much for this story, I apologize if it sucks. Balancing eight personalities is tricky and I'm afraid I haven't gotten the hang of it. If you'd like to make comment, please review. Please please PLEASE! 

Thank you.

Sasami~

"Hey Leo! I think we lost em!" **_Bam!_** "I saw one of those guys just pass by!" **_Bam!_** "But I think we should stay for another round, just in case!" **_Bam!_**

"Mike! Cut it out! You're giving me whiplash!" **_Bam!_** Leo flew over the steering wheel of his tiny motor vehicle, only to be yanked back by the primitive belt restraint. He craned his sore neck back around to glare at his little brother. Mike was grinning toothily, a disturbing gleam in his eyes. He shook his head slowly, and the sparks of his car's pole began to flicker as he advanced on Leo's rear end. Leo hit the gas again, and turned back to try to weave his way through the obstacle course of empty cars. **_Bam!_** "Mike!" Leo continued to retreat, but waried a glance over his shoulder to shoot a look at his brother. Mike's grin widened as he waited for Leo to get far enough away to provide ample acceleration distance.

"Sorry, Leo. I have to!" Mike hit the gas again, speeding agilely through the empty arena. Leo's bumper came up like a deer to a windshield. **_Bam!_** The tiny car jolted forward, issuing a metallic screech. Leo swore under his breath, trying again to make a better get-away. Mike looked over the rail Leo was heading for and squinted into the jarring lights. Not far off a group of kids passed by, six of them, and a big pink dragon, reflecting every light it passed into hundreds of glimmering starbursts. "Hey look! It's Don and the girls! And I think _Raph's_ with em!" Leo glanced up as Mike's shouting brought the attention of the meandering group. Raphael _was_ with them. Leo felt a wave of relief, seeing his brother alive. He tightened his expression as they approached, glad that on the arena platform he was still looking down on Raph, and not eye-to-eye or worse. Coming up to the rail, Raph wore a bemused expression, watching Leo with an uncharacteristic tonelessness to his eyes. He looked tired. And stopping at the rail before him, Leo thought of a tramp before his priest; asking forgiveness. Leonardo looked benevolently on his brother for once. He might even be glad to see him. Maybe. **_Bam!_** Leo's car rammed into the railing. "Hi guys!" Mike chirped.

"_Ha ha!_ Hi Mike." Raph and Don laughed.

"Michelangelo..." Leo growled.

"_HA HA HA!_" The girls clutched their stomachs, bending over themselves. Hope clutched her dragon, going into hysterics. Raph whispered something to Don that made him laugh twice as hard, his face turning a redder shade of green. Only Mercy watched as Leo unbuckled himself from the car and stepped out, against the directions of the overhead speaker man. He said something of a stern nature to Mike as he marched toward the exit. Mike laughed and drove around a little more before getting out himself and joining Leo with the rest of their posse.

"Nice, Mikey." Raph bumped fists with his little brother.

"Welcome back, red-man." Mike grinned. "We were starting to think you didn't like us anymore." 

"Hmn. Yeah."

"How'd you know we'd be here tonight?" Hope asked.

"He was following us." Leo answered. "Weren't you." Raph shrugged. He exchanged a brief scrutiny glare with his brother, and smirked.

"Well, now that _everybody_'s here," Mike slung his arms around Hope and Bliss's shoulders. "We can have some fun, eh!"

"Let's play some more games!" Hope squealed.

"I wanna check out the rides." Mercy stepped aside as Mike's wiggling fingers sought to draw her into the Mikey love hug.

"I'm going for some fried dough." Don smiled and moved back politely as Mercy nudged into his shoulder.

"I guess," Leo fished through his coat pockets, pulling out the strands of tickets for each of them. "That if we all want to do different things, we should split up for awhile." He handed them each a small roll, looking into everyone's eyes. "But stay in groups. We don't anyone to get... lost." Raph snorted, his arms crossed comfortably over his chest. "Let's meet up again by the Ferris wheel. Midnight all right?"

"Sounds like a fright. Let's go, ladies!" Mike careened around, taking the giggling pair of Hope and Bliss with him. Don and Raph headed for the food court. Ignoring Leo's order, Mercy and Angel split off in opposite directions, heading north and south.

"Hey, Mercy... _Angel!_" Leo called. They were both filtering through some crowds, and couldn't hear him. Seeing Mercy was not so far away, Leo jogged to catch up with her. He caught her arm, and she turned reluctantly, her eyes skeptical of what he wanted with her. "I said to stay in groups." He reminded her, letting her small arm go.

"Yeah, you did. And?"

"And you and Angel just took off. So help me find her." Leo turned back; the mess of people, filtering passed him towards another set of sounds. Mercy followed by an invisible leash, tightening her coat around her like a blanket. "Do you to ever realize that we're looking out for you, or trying to, not trying to baby-sit." She scoffed into the scarf covering her face. "We have more experience with this than any of you."

"God, stop acting like you actually care."

"What?" Leo stopped. Mercy continued to walk passed him, slower, keeping her eyes on him. "Of course we care. Why do you think we'd be doing all this?" Mercy laughed.

"Shit..." She rolled her eyes. "...The only reason you're looking for Angel now is because you want to get into her pants." She added, watching him for a reaction. "You want to get into all our pants." Leo seized up. His face was turning hot, and his fists clenched with embarrassed rage. The anger was rising in his chest like a heartburn; what she had said had only the _slimmest_ piece of truth to it. Mercy turned back toward where Angel had disappeared to with only the tiniest shake to her head. She continued walking on, leaving Leo concrete where he stood. "That's what Angel said."

Lights spinning and flashing and blasting, so fast that they blurred into long streams of colored light. Darkness was pervasive though; so much that it was difficult to see the person next to you. It was the perfect ride for mutant turtles. That fact, however, wasn't even much concern to Mike, Raph, Don, Hope, Bliss, or Mercy. They were the only ones in the alien space ship', which was whirling them around, and sliding them up the wall with centrifugal force.

"Hey girls!" Mike screamed. "Check me out!" He lifted his arms out, waving for attention. The girls laughed. Mike was held upside down against the mat. His boots switched back and forth the to time of and eighties classic _Relax_'.

"He always does that." Don muttered. "Wo_ah!_" His mat slid up the wall, slamming against the breakers of the tracks. Raph laughed beside him.

"Took you long enough. Put on a few pounds, Donnie?"

"At least I don't have such a _girlish figure_." Don retorted. Raph fumed.

"You're calling me a girl! I'll kick your fat ass, Donna!" He reached for the sai inside his coat.

"_Ha ha ha! _The gravity force is keeping you from doing anything in here! You can't touch me!" Don watch in amusement as his brother's hand sought to cross over the mat, to find its way inside the coat. "Science is on _my_ side! Wait, what the?" The rhythmic whirring sound of the gears began to soften. His mat dropped again almost immediately. "Oh shit."

"What were you saying?" Raph grinned menacingly. A minute later his and Mike's mats dropped, and he started to crawl his way after Don against the walls, towards where the doors would open.

"Come on ladies." Mike waited for his friends to drop as well. "Let us rock and/or roll."

"Oooh. I feel sick." Hope said as she slid slowly to the spinning ground. Mike turned to her, letting her drape herself over his steady shoulder. She moaned into the shoulder of his jacket, his arm drawing around her.

"It'll be ok. It'll pass in a minute."

"Mikey!" Bliss squealed as she slid to the floor, getting his other arm. Mercy was right behind her, chuckling as she watched Raph chase Don in the increasingly easier terrain.

The saucer eventually slowed to its stop, and the door lowered to the fair outside. Don rushed out, a Raph charging after him after making laps around the ring of wall mats. Outside, the population of the fair seemed to have surged. The laughter had doubled, and the average age of the public had increased. Many people seemed tipsy. A small line was waiting at the outside of the spaceship.

Paused at the open ground around the rides, Mike looked for his brothers. Hope still held onto his shoulder, breathing deeply. Bliss had his other arm, her long hair flowing over his shoulder. Mercy rested her elbow on the back of his shell, reclining against him.

_Wherever you guys are, please don't come back!_ Mike's surpressed grin turned his eyes bright. He was sandwiched in girl-dom. They all smelled divinely, and were pressed all up against him like he was Hugh Heifner

"I think I see them." Bliss motion to a race track ride.

"What's that, Bunny? _I-mean-Bliss_?" He laughed lightly, directing his attention to where two boys emerged from the backstage of a children's ride. One was Raph, with his ratted trench coat. The other was Don, with his black sweatshirt, rubbing his head gingerly underneath the hood. "Oh yeah! There they are." He laughed, hoping she hadn't noticed he called her bunny.' Hope disengaged herself from his arm, taking a few steps. "Better?" Mike asked.

"Yeah." She nodded quietly. Mercy broke of next to stand beside Hope, and finally Bliss, just as Raph and Don reached them, leaving Mike looking like a pitiful puppy who needed a another petting.

"I think you broke skin on that one." Don griped.

"What?" Mercy raised a dark eyebrow.

"Ninja Noogie." Mike clarified, watching the girls move around Don curiously to see his poor wound. 

"I'll kiss it all better for you." He heard Bliss say, there was giggling.

"Oh my _god_." Mike watched in horror. He had never gotten kisses when he was tortured. Of course, he wouldn't have been wanted to be kissed by his brothers, and as he got older, not by his father. But by _girls_, the thought had never occurred to him till now. And Don was getting the full benefits. "Raph," He turned to his brother, removing his hat. "Quick, give me a noogie!" The hat was taken from his hand, and used to buffer the palm that pushed his face back. "Ack!"

"Leo and Angel are waiting for us at the Ferris wheel." Mercy announced. "They said to meet them when we were done."

"Is it midnight already?" Bliss checked Don's watch.

"It's passed." He told her. "We've been here for awhile. We should probably go."

"_Roll out!_" Mike called.

"Mikey! Give me a piggy-back ride!" Bliss ran around to the shell of Mike.

"_SURE!_" He immediately dropped to one knee, helping the girl climb onto his shell. He jogged off into the crowd, towards the towering form of lights against the night sky. No one could noticed the softened expression on Hope's green face, before they all ran laughing to catch up with Mike.

Even with his carriage, Mike still arrived first. He found Leo on a waiting bench, sitting Indian style as usual. Angel was safe beside him. 

"Hey guys!" Bliss greeted, releasing one of her arms to wave, and bringing it back tight again around Mike's neck. Don and Raph were next to show up.

"How long have you been here." Raph asked soberly.

"A little while." Leo answered, unfazed.

"So are we goin', or what now?" Mike asked, bobbing back and forth, making Bliss squeal.

"As soon as everyone's here. Where's Mercy and Hope?" Leo asked, craning his neck to see behind his brothers, who made no move to get out of his way.

"Right behind us." Don turned around, looking into the wandering crowd. "Weren't they?"

"You left them behind?" Leo uncrossed his legs and raised up from his seat. "I told you to stay as a group."

"They were right there, don't have a cow." Raph turned to check out the crowd.

"Don't tell me what to do, Raphael. _You_ haven't been here for two whole _fuckin'_ weeks."

"Oh, so that's what you're pissed about. I thought it was about those girls."

"It's both. And-"

"Look, there they are." Don cut in. He was glad that Mike had moved away from the group. Bliss probably hadn't heard their exchange. 

It was uncanny. Together again for two hours, no, not even _together_ for two hours, and they were getting into a shouting match. It hadn't seemed like anything was the matter with them before Raph left. Two weeks apart had only put them into a fight somehow. This was something Don, and he assumed Mike and Leo, were trying to avoid. Once the girls agreed to live with them the race was on to discover and dispose of any and all crude material. This included personality traits. The turtles had never lived with girls before, they had no sisters. They hardly interacted with girls either outside of April. They went blindly into unfamiliar territory.

These were no ordinary girls they were serving, either. Obviously because they were mutant turtles. But these girls had been human at one point. They were accustomed to being treated with a specific degree of respect or above. They were goddesses made mortal. And so they should never be subjected to the mutant anomalies that the brothers lived with daily. Obscene amounts of pornography and lotion were thrown out in the night, specialized shell care products were put out of site, all the bladed and most dangerous weapons were put away in Splinter's room. Every effort was made to make their guests comfortable. A task that was easily accomplished with Raph away. He wasn't storming around acting anti-social and evil as he always did with the houseguests. 

The girls had been protected from the normally caustic relations of the brothers, and everything had been fine. But almost like clockwork, Raph came back and started getting on Leo's nerve. So concerned about keeping the girls out of it, it didn't occur to Don to tell Raph about the changes back at home.


	14. Fair part three

Hope and Mercy were just emerging through a passing of people, walking contemplatively. Leo pushed Raph out of the way and jogged to them, weaving through several kids passing by.

"Are you all right?" He asked Hope, who was holding her stomach with one hand. She nodded at the ground, but he took her arm anyway.

"She's a little dizzy." Mercy filled in.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Hope was guided to a warm seat on the bench.

"We should go home now." Leo decided. Hope moaned and shook her head.

"No, go on the ride. I'll just stay here. I'm ok, really."

"I don't want to leave you down here." Leo sat beside her.

"I'll stay with her. Then you guys can go on the ride." Don adjusted his hood, stepping into the circle. Leo was frowning. "It'll be fine!"

"If we leave now, she'll have to walk with us. It'll make her feel worse." Angel added.

"I'll be fine. You guys go, and then we'll leave right after." Hope nodded. Leo grudgingly accepted, giving Don a meaningful stare as they changed places. The remaining six of them filtered into the line.

"Look at us when we get to the top and I'll wave." Mike whispered to Hope before jogging into line, bouncing Bliss on his shell. She was getting sore, however, and asked to get down.

"Four here." The operator announced motioning Mike, Bliss, Angel, and Raph in. They stepped into the small compartment and were whisked away for the next one to show up. "You two." Leo and Mercy were the only two left in line. "No kissing, only holding hands." The old man smirked at the two pre-adolescent kids as they passed him.

"He's just kidding." Leo said, stepping aside so Mercy could step in first. He still noticed how fiercely red her face had turned as he entered and took the seat across from her.

The Ferris wheel rose up and began it's slow rolling.

"Oooh, it's so beautiful, Mike." Crossing her arms over the sturdy railing, Bliss rested her chin on her wrists. The compartment was rising above the tallest towers of the fair. The black night sky was jigsawwed with the city's skyline, dotted with lighted windows. Bliss had never seen a city so wide and tall. 

"You like the view? Cause I know a place..." Mike offered, watching Bliss in her quiet admiration. That long hair was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Cascading down her shoulders in chocolatey waves and curls. In the past week the girls had started doing prettier things with their hair. They took helluva long time in the shower, but no one complained. He loved watching Bliss's hair, and often thought about touching it. "I'll take you tomorrow if you're not busy."

"Cool." Bliss smiled without turning her head.

"Maybe Hope can come too, if she wants." He added. Bliss nodded absently. Both she and Angel were looking out over the twinkling lights of the fair and city as they merged together below them. The din of the crowd was dying out in the upper atmosphere, leaving solitude in the rising Ferris booth. Mike kicked his feet against his seat. He wearied quickly of the silence and the comfort it created. He wanted some fireworks to start. 

_Well_, Mike looked at his playmates around him. _Maybe I'll have to start some myself._ Everyone was preoccupied with the sites though. Especially Raph, gazing intently at a nearby support girder. His peripheral vision was offering him a perfect view of either Angel or of some more white girders. Mike had a pretty good guess which way he was really looking. _I can't believe I missed this before... Raph, you stupid love-sick bastard... Mwaa haa haa!_

"That's a nice beam there." Mike leaned closer to his brother, and was rewarded with a suddenly fiery glare. Mike's grin widened, nearly cracking his face in half. _Let the games begin!_ "Hey Angel," Mike whined, turning both the girls' attention to him. "Can we trade seats? This side's a little rocky." He rubbed his stomach tenderly.

"Sure, Mike." She rose up, clasping Raph's favorite girder. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I think it was all that cotton candy I ate." He whispered as they changed places. Taking a deep breath as he settled into his plastic seat, Mike leaned back and closed his eyes. He could feel Bliss's eyes on him, and her knee against his. He opened his eyes to her. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all." She smiled, moving closer. Smiling back, Mike slid his arms along the back of the booth. His hand ran along the loose waves of Bliss's hair, and his smile turned to a grin. _Oh yes. This is the best._ Raph, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at him. Angel was sitting in Mike's exact seat, which wasn't where he had hoped she would go. Too far away from Raph. _He's planning to kick my ass later..._ Mike mused. _Unless... I turn that frown upside down... _

"Gettin' a little hot up here." Mike pulled at his collar. The three turtles looked at him. There was a chill breeze in the air as they rose higher and higher. Undeterred by the weather, Mike pulled his jacket off, stripping down to his black tee shirt. The wind blew in a sudden gust over his bare arms. "Aah." He sighed stiffly. "I'll just put this over here," Leaning over, he nudged his jacket it between Angel and the side of the booth. " S'cuse me, Angel." She had to shift over for his jacket, a few inches closer to Raphael. Mike sat back; disappointed his coat hadn't been bulkier, when Bliss brushed his side on her way up.

"I'll take mine off too." She pulled her long jacket off, down to a thin blue tank top. Laughing, she wrapped it around her arm and placed it beside Angel. "Sorry."

"It's ok." Angel shifted over farther to make room, until she was thigh to thigh with Raphael. Sitting back down, Bliss and Mike exchange their sly smiles. Looking upwards at Raphael beside her, Angel smiled politely. "Hi."

"Mm." He responded casually, looking at his beam again. Angel's eyes drifted away, looking to the floor for an answer. Her vision soon sought out Bliss, _Help me!_ Her eyes said. Mike smiled and looked to Bliss, waiting to see what the response volley would be. She thought for a moment, her face sympathetic. Then, coming to a brilliant and amusing solution, she brought her legs up onto the seat, and laid them across Mike's lap. _Try this._ Bliss's expression read back. Angel rolled her eyes, ending their transmission.

Mike tried to hold in his snickering. Bliss's legs were warm. Drawing his arm around her waist, he ventured to pull her onto his lap. She yielded to him, and placed her arms around his neck as she was transplanted. Her body was becoming cold too, and wasn't familiar with losing body heat so quickly with the change of temperature. She rested her head against his with a sigh, and her hair made a shield for them against the breeze.

"It's not going to work." She whispered in his ear. Her hair also provided some insulation for their conversation.

"Huh? Why not?" Mike began to frown, watching his brother and Angel not hitting it off.

"She's like a major virgin. The only way someone's getting between those legs is with a vise." She confided. Mike began to snicker. He shook his head.

"Well I don't want them to get it on in here... It would prolly shake this thing off its tracks and kill us." They both began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Angel asked.

"Nothing!" The answered in unison. Mike moved his arms farther around her waist, interlocking his fingers. "Heh heh heh." He chuckled under his breath. The silence stretched on a few extra moments. Mike drew his head farther into the soft protection of hair. "So," some static strands of brown hair wrapped around his cheek. "Does she like him?" Bliss scrutinized the couple across from them. She checked for all the tells of affection or attachment. In the end, she frowned.

"I don't know. It's always hard to tell with her." She whispered. He frowned as well. "Angel's pretty bad with guys anyway. Shy, you know?"

"Oh." Mike said. He could see his brother getting ancy. He was probably getting claustrophobic. Thinking about going off to fight some thugs or something constructive. "Well..." He began to snicker again. "Maybe we can get her liquored up." Bliss laughed, burying her face in his neck. Her breath was warm and moist against his tender skin. Mike laughed lightly, looking to the sky to thank the gods. She must not have known how sensitive turtles were to touch.

"Maybe." She pulled back, still giggling. Mike sighed. Raph and Angel waried cautious glances toward each other. Bliss became quiet for a moment, and Mike thought she had gone back to looking at the sky. "Or maybe we could get something a little stronger." She spoke in his ear again.

"What do you mean?" His brow furrowed. "Whiskey's pretty strong." She giggled again in her low voice.

"No. I mean... you know." Mike thought for a moment.

"What, drugs?" He whispered even lower, not wanted Raph to possibly hear.

"Yeah, nothin' major."

"Um," He chuckled, a little nervously. "That's pretty bad, Bliss. I dunno-"

"It's ok, seriously. We do it sometimes. It's no biggie." Mike continued to frown. "I know you guys aren't into it, with the ninja stuff and all. So you don't have to." She smoothed down a long crease in his shirt. "You could just tell us where to go..." Mike stuttered slowly.

"I wouldn't even know..."

"You beat up these guys sometimes, that's what you said. So you know where they hang out sometimes, right?"

"I guess..." Mike craned his neck over his shoulder to see the car below, where he could see the top of Leo's cap. Bliss was smoothing down the crease again, her breath warm against his cheek.

"I can pay you back for it... I can pay you back tonight."


	15. Fair part four last one

                "They're laughing at us." Angel surmised quietly.

                "I know." Raphael confirmed, pushing aside his plans to pound some punks. Beating up Mike was sounding much more appetizing. Bliss was cuddled up on his lap, like they were a pair of little demons. _I'm going to twist him into a pretzel and cram him into the crawl space._ Raph tried to tame his expression to blandness, less Angel notice and ask to change seating arrangements again.

                "So," Ignoring Mike and Bliss's giggling, Angel turned her face to Raphael. "How long were you following us? I didn't even notice you." 

                Knowing the fair was in town, Raph had haunted the grounds that night and last. He had watched for his brothers from the shadows and kept his distance. The best place for him was apart and unnoticed, where not only could he watch his family, but watch for Kage as well. And if it hadn't been for his own stupid self, Raph would still be out there.

                "A little while." He answered. "I saw what you did at the games. What all a you did." Angel smiled faintly.

                "I see."

                "How did you do that. You know, just going for it... I was watching, you didn't say anything."

                "Umm..." The soles of her shoes swished across the floor as she crossed her ankles. Her face turning a shade paler than it had been, Angel struggled for a feasible answer.

                "What was the tell. It was good." Raph relaxed, having found something he could talk about, something he was good at. He had been puzzled at the instantaneous staging of their theft, as if it were a play they had practiced dozens of times over. That was his assumption anyway. That they had preformed the scam so many times that it was their second nature, and there really was no tell to begin with. He wanted to hear it from Angel though. He wanted her to talk to him. The sort of thief-dom they preformed, while he knew it as child's play, often brought up some sort of bravado that he was sure would spark some talk. The smile Angel offered him was unconvincingly cocky.

                "Well, I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Raphael laughed. Angel paused, and then began laughing with him. And as laughter usually does, they became friends for the moment. Enough for Raph to shake his head and look away, replaying her words in his mind and wishing he had something else to say, now that she had cut off his one area of expertise. "You... aren't going to make us take it back, are you?" She asked after their amusement had died down.

                "No. Hell no." He turned back, furrowing his brow. "It's yours." She nodded. "Good luck finding a place for it."

                "Yeah. Hope's already piled her bed over with stuffed animals and clothes. She'll probably tack that thing to the ceiling." She chuckled.

                "She's got a bed now?"

                "Ohhhhh..." Angel turned a shade paler again, slowly looking away into the distance.

                "What." His face settled back to a bland masking of severity. His return to the mutant circle was unremarkable; he had waited for the other shoe to drop. Angel met his gaze with palpable reluctance, never actually making it. She set her sights on his bicep, her beak wrinkling.

                "I don't think they've told you..." She summarized, "that since we've decided to stay that we've moved in..."

                "Yeah."

                "That we've moved into your _room_." The both became silent. A colder breeze blew through the carriage. The couple across from them had quieted down. Like a cue had been given - the silent cold of the top of the wheel had sucked the noise and life out. At least out of Raph, who then cast a peripheral effect on all those around him. Just as Angel, he gazed off into space.

                Mike craned over the side of the booth, though most of his body was pinned beneath Bliss's. She told him they were too high up to be seen. The wheel was an enormous one that dominated the grounds below. Like a behemoth it was, compared to the swinging and twisting metal toys at it's foot. Mike let one hand go and stretched his arm out over the edge. Flexing his wrist and fingers, he waved, even as Bliss ran her hand along the valleys of his musculature.

                "I'm sorry, Raph." Angel went on. "They made the decision without us. But that's not an excuse. It's my fault, I should've asked that we wait. I'm sorry." She was raising her eyes, finding his steely ones. He stared hard at nothing in particular. His brothers were hauling his stuff out of his room. They clutched piles of it to their chest and marched it into the hall, dropping it into a pile. His naked mattress was pushed out on its side, and rested limp against the wall.

                Waiting outside were the four humans. The girls waited patiently as the room was gutted for them. And emerging sporadically, his brothers grinned happily to see these humans in their midst.

                "Raph?" He felt the cold soft hand touch his tentatively. Finally looking down, he remembered that she was sitting right beside him. Apprehension was washed over her face. Even her cap, which laid a shadow over just above her beak, didn't drown the concerned sort of nature of her eyes. It didn't hide away the hair either. The calling card of a human. Thin fingers, and tiny nose holes. _Human bitch._

                Angel drew her hand back, as if she could feel the contempt through his skin. Immediately Raphael grabbed it back. He could push her down right there, on the jackets, and have her. She trembled under his grasp though he hardly used a portion of his strength. The apprehension and fear contorted her faced like a real angel's. He let her go. Looking at the supporting beam again he refocused his control. Angel had turned away from him and was holding her hand comfortingly.

                "Sorry." He mumbled. She nodded once. Then after a few moments, a couple more times. 

~Below~

                "He was only joking." Mercy's face was still burning, even as Leo assured her that the comment she heard was done in jest. "He doesn't even know us."

                "We are _not_ boyfriend and girlfriend." Mercy insisted, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She was as comfortable as a fish out of water as they rose in the swaying  compartment. Leo felt his face turning hot again.

                "I never said we were." Mercy didn't answer. She turned her head and looked down on the fair instead. Feeling the indignation begin to rise in him again, Leo looked aside as well. He pulled himself out of the moment, and let the anger subside. He knew that Mercy didn't mean to hurt him personally. Even though sometimes she did mean to. It seemed as though each passing day drew some greater and greater resentment on her part. He could feel the fire in her eyes when they would meet in the same room. She gave the uncanny impression of sizing him up as an enemy, and tested his patience every day. 

                Recently she had begun insulting him outright. Mostly on points of honor. Her comment earlier about his desire for her and her friends made him irate and embarrassed. He knew he had little control over his hormones, and what he did or didn't lust over. But he had, he would say, had handled these drives excellently, and had never acted as the demon on his shoulder had encouraged him too. Instead he had listened to Splinter's spirit on his opposite shoulder, and been a perfect example of androgynous honor.

                He later mentioned the comment to Angel, though dimmed down from it's original intensity. The way her face colored led him to believe that Mercy had spoken the truth. At least she had that going in her favor. Leonardo was almost finished regaining his composure. After times like these he would wonder if having these girls come and live with them was really a good thing. And then he would immediately retaliate the thought with another, that the girls were his friends. Even _if_ their presence wasn't a agreeable, it was the only option. They were on their way to discovery and death, literally, before he intervened.

                And so, as usual, a quiet fatherly presence came over Leo. And in his own way, he forgave Mercy her trespass. She was gazing over the edge of their booth watching the people below, her black scarf pulled down from her face. She was staring longingly at a young boy that was walking with some older kids. Leo was almost alarmed, and then he remembered something about a little brother. Mercy had younger siblings she had left behind in Connecticut. He learned that on one of the few occasions where they had spoken openly to one another, without her usual angst. They had talked for a long time, he had seen her to bed. Though the next day she acted like he was some sort of devil. Leo decided not to comment about the boy.

                A few more moments passed before Leo decided he could no longer stay quiet about it. "Put your scarf back up, please." Mercy look at him with vague irritation and pulled the scarf up higher. Not as high as she had once had it, but it covered her chin. He decided to let it go since she was no longer leaning out of the compartment. "I'm sorry to have to get after you about this. In time you'll do those kinds of things out of nature."

                "I don't want to just disappear."

                "It's our way. What exactly is the alternative?" He asked. There was no answer, since they both knew it. Mercy crossed her arms, not looking anymore annoyed. "Being mutants we have-"

                "Don't say that word."

                "What word?"

                "Mutant. It's disgusting. Like some horrible science fiction novel." Leonardo stared at her for a few moments. 

                "Alright. Being _what we are_ we have to make sacrifices. One of them is that we disappear to the world. _Shadows_ are our friends." Mercy smirked to herself. "Tonight when you guys made a scene you endangered all of us. You don't understand yet the thin line we exist on out here in the open."

                "Just because I'm a turtle doesn't mean I'll let people walk all over me."

                "It doesn't mean you should." Leonardo assured her. "It just means you should be careful how you act. And at any point in time you have to be able to disappear."

                "_I'm_ not a ninja." She reminded him.

                "That's why we're here with you. To keep you out of danger. Just until you're more skillful."

                "Which will probably be never. You enjoy going out with us everywhere, don't you? I know you do."  

                Ignoring the instinct to restrain his tongue, Leonardo reacted. 

                "At least _I_ never ran in on _you_ in the bathroom." Mercy's face flushed furiously. He smiled in spite of himself. In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he was preparing an additional comment about how long she had sized him up, when the compartment came to a violent halt.

                A pervasive screeching sound accompanied them as they both tumbled off the plastic seats, onto the metal floor, along with the surprised cries of every other passenger on the Ferris wheel. They crashed into each other and rolled between the jostling seats. Already in his arms, Mercy held onto Leonardo's shoulders. The booth continued to swing precariously, even after the wheel had ceased all movement and they both had found their balance.

                "What just happened?" Mercy asked no one in particular. A long low creak responded to her from the gears of the great wheel. Lifting her up with him slowly, Leonardo looked down at the grounds below them. He could make out the carne and some other people working at the controls. There were more people there than had been present when they got on.

                The compartment was slowing in its rocking, and it was easier to keep their footing. Mercy pulled her scarf up higher.

                "They've stopped the wheel." Leo surmised. People to all sides of them were shouting down to the ground.

                "_What's going on!"_

_                "Why's the ride stopped?"_

_                "What's happening!"_ And below there was an increasing mass of people. After a little while a man with a microphone appeared, wearing some sort of uniform, and silenced the cries of alarmed from the people above.

                "Everything is alright," he articulated clearly. "The situation is under control. Please take your seats. The ride is shut down temporarily, but we'll have you down in a few minutes." There were a few additional shouts down after he had finished, but overall there was a great metallic whining as people sat back in the plastic benches.

                "We're fucked." Mercy noted.

                "Why." Leonardo pulled Mercy away with him from the spotlights that were being directed towards the wheel.

                "They're going to call the fire department to get us down. It's regulation after a ride this big breaks. Your ninjitsu's not going to save you from a whole squad of firemen."

                "You'd be surprised." Leo began looking for a new way off of the ride. "But you're right, we can't stay here and wait to be discovered. We'll have to get off before anyone comes to rescue us."

~Two Minutes Later~

                "I hate you."

                "Fine. Just don't let go." Leonardo hoisted himself onto the edge of the booth, looking out on the back of the fair. It was comparably dark and empty to the city behind it, and was relatively unnoticed by the rest of the fair. Leo surveyed the thick spokes of the wheel and their supporting girders. Spot lights were illuminating the supports and most of the compartments. Below them a larger crowd had formed to watch what might be an impending disaster. 

                This was exactly why they never went out into crowds. They were trapped, and dozens of people were watching their every move. Mercy sighed against the back of his neck. She clung onto his shell as he instructed, her legs and arms wrapped around him in a koala-like fashion. This way she wouldn't fall loose of him as they descended, and also kept Leo's hands free. Since her arms were wrapped around his neck, she was able to hold his sneakers for him, since they wouldn't fit in his pockets. Even with his assurances, he could feel Mercy's stomach rise and fall in an accelerating manner. Her body was tight, which was good for him because it made her easier to carry.

                "I'm going to go on three." He said quietly. He could hear the voices of other passengers around them. If they heard him they would surely call attention to their escape. "One," He adjusted his footing on the edge. "two," He leapt out, dropping some ten feet to the white support stoke beneath them. Nimble footsteps took them down the slope to the radial center of the wheel, ducking through a small obstacle of metal wires that were rigged between the girders.

**_*BAM-_**_popopop**-**FWIIIIZZPOW**-BROOOM***_

Screams erupted from the crowd, though Leo didn't take a moment to register what the commotion was about. He was already on the shadow side of the wheel, hidden behind the massive mechanics. But the ride may be collapsing, so he doubled his speed. Grasping the rails of an access ladder just so, he slid down a short portion, and leapt onto another immense spoke. This one was angled towards the ground, and he ran down it lightly. Mercy squealed in his ear, but not loud enough to be heard by others. 

                Without shaking the beams, Leonardo swung down to the one below, and then again. The spokes became steeper and steeper, until the drop was nearly vertical. Still running, Leonardo came to the end of the beam, where a booth hung off like an apple from a branch. One foot touched down on the heavy clasp of the beam and he changed direction and flew off the wheel into the shadowy lot behind.

                His landing was fluid enough to make Mercy wonder if he had jumped at all or if he had just been running all this way. But he still ran, until they were safe behind some parked trailers. Kneeling, he let Mercy climb off his back. She was hyperventilating as if she had just ran the whole the way. Leo held her elbow to see she wouldn't collapse.

                "Oh. My. God." She managed, taking Leo's elbow as well.

                "Take it easy, you're safe." He told her, tugging the scarf down so she could breathe easier. He heard her murmur something about not saying 'three'. A few moments later Mike and Raph showed up with their own luggage. Bliss hung on to Michelangelo, burying her face into his shoulder as soon as he let her go. Angel immediately sat down on the pavement, breathing deeply between her knees. Mercy knelt beside Angel, putting a hand on her shoulder.

                "Not bad." Raphael turned toward Leonardo.

                "Nope. Looks pretty clean." Leo looked up at the wheel and saw no faces turned towards them and no impending disaster. "Nice work." He clapped Raphael's shoulder once while he still surveyed the crowd.

                "Over there." Raph pointed out a pair of kids coming their way. Leo and Mike watched them as well, but didn't make an attempt to escape. It was Don and Hope, and even though they were given no signal to the trailer, they knew the way anyways.

                "How'd you guys get here?!" Hope demanded when they reached the landing. "You were on the ride! I saw you get in!" Leo smiled quietly. _Definitely clean._

                "That's the last of the firecrackers." Don was both amused and saddened by having used his last firecracker in the crowd. He didn't figure he'd be able to purchase anymore for quite awhile. But the mischief he created was satisfying enough, plus it had created a well timed diversion for his brothers.

                "There's a manhole over there, let's go." Leo helped Mercy back up and directed her towards the sewer entry. "Stay together. Mike, you got the bar? Good, take point."

                "Yeeeess, Maaassterrrrr." Mike hissed, hunching over and lopping off towards the manhole.

                "_Mike._" Leo called after him. Mike stopped hunching and blended away into the shadows.

                "Why are we leaving?" Bliss asked.

                "Because it's not safe." Raph answered. As his brothers collected the girls and directed them towards the escape, he wondered whether or not Kage had caused the problem in the ride. It wasn't impossible that some foot soldiers, or more likely Kage himself, had followed him from his hideout. In which case, his brothers needed time to get back to the lair.

                Leo took it for granted that Raph would stay back, and this thought was cemented with a quick business-like glance.

                "Wait! The dragon! It's still in the locker!" Hope cried out a little louder than comfortable in the darkness.

                "I'll get it." Raph was already backing away as his brothers headed towards Mike's signaling. They faded into the shadows, with only the nervous movements of the girls to give them away. He looked over them farther into the distance. Mike, with his miniature crowbar knelt by the opened manhole, looking back at him, a expression lost in the distance between. He waried a hearty wave goodbye before an audible hiss commanded that he stopped. Which he did, turning back to his duty as doorman.

                Raph turned his back to his family, and lightly leapt to the roof of the trailer to stake out any remaining ninjas.


	16. Potato Man's Chapter

  
  


~A.N I'd like to take this time to dedicate this chapter to the Potato Man. The Potato Man made sure that I partook in a two for one sale on Russet Potato's, America's favorite potato's, when I was unknowingly buying only one at the checkout. Potato Man, if you're reading this, I'm not an ungrateful teenager who used your knowledge of discount priced vegetables for her own gain. You simply left before I could thank you! So this chapter is for you, Potato Man! Wherever you are. You inspired me to finish this chapter today, instead of putting it off another seven weeks. May your random acts of kindness inspire us all!~

  
  
  


3 a.m.

  


The dark has very little to do with evil. Though evil has a great deal to do with the dark. Shadows are present in even the safest of places, and in certain circumstances, encourage that sense of safety. The dark is ever present underground. In fact, it is more upsetting for there to be light there, then darkness.

Shivering in the darkness, a single flame glanced around cautiously as it threw its light in a pale orb around itself, trapped in the dark. The illumination fell onto the open pages of Leonardo's hard covered book, letting the black letters rise out of the cream. Flipping the page listlessly, Leonardo hardly noticed how he tired. Waiting, patience was a good and well practiced virtue of his. His body's demand for rest could be easily ignored. But his mind's was harder to placate. As he read, his internal thoughts began to dim. His heart beat and breathing became meditative, as he slid smoothly into an auto-pilot of awareness. His mind was still wide awake, waiting for foreign movement, but his thoughts were taking a well deserved nap. He flipped another page, having not read it.

A gentle whoosh of air alerted him of Raphael's presence. He was expected this time, and he had entered that way on many occasions after light's out. The door had been oiled to silence, and it was simple for him to travel unheard through the sewers.

Leonardo was already closing the book as Raphael stepped into the faint reaches of the candle's light. He roused his senses and looked up at his wayward brother. With one glance he could see that there was no battle that he had missed. Nor had there been much of anything, likely. Raphael was calm for once, which Leonardo figured to be from him being on leave so long.

"And?" Leo asked under his breath. He didn't want to wake anyone else. Especially seeing what his brother held in his hand. Raphael's gaze was stony.

"The foot." He answered, simply confirming what they both had already suspected. Parting his coat down the center, Raph slid his hand into the inner pockets. "The cops found this." He drew out a plastic bag, wrapped over itself around a thin object. He stepped forward into the light to hand the weapon to Leonardo. It was a heavy weight blade, the length of either of their forearms. Leonardo held it in his palm, scrutinizing it almost casually. He pressed his thumb against the edge of the blade, feeling the sharpened edge through the plastic. The design of the hilt was familiar, with the standard Foot colors and patterns. It was a trademark. Therefore, it had been left for them on purpose.

Don could run tests in the morning. Whatever tests he ran on these sort of things. There was no rush that night. If the foot wanted a confrontation, they would've done it at the fair, and before any of them could've gotten away. Since Raphael would've made sure that no one followed him home, the blade could wait till morning. Not that any clues would've been left. The leader of the foot, the new one, would have seen that there were no traces left behind.

"I found it like this in the locker. Locked." Raphael presented the pink dragon. Leo set the dagger down on the end table, and took the stuffed animal in both hands. One to hold the head, the other the body; careful not to further disrupt what remained of the torn neck. White polymer fluffing was coming out of the body, like the little stuffed creature was slowly giving birth. It was a clean tear around the throat that had decapitated the thing. Still, the glassy eyes sparkled brightly in the candle light, looking expectantly into the world. Leonardo's thumb caressed the lavender sequins of the facial design as he changed his vision to his waiting brother.

"Tell her you didn't find it." Raphael nodded, as if he actually had needed to be told. Leonardo set the dragon aside and stood up. He would store these things in Splinter's room for safe keeping, until he and the rest of his brothers could meet together and discuss what they would do next. Although, he already had a good idea, for now the subject was closed. Raphael pulled his coat off, returning to the door to hang it and his hat up, kick off his boots. The shirt and slacks he wore were unfamiliar, he unbuttoned his shirt in preparation for bed, turning back to where Leo stood waiting for him. "We had to move the rooms around. We moved you and Don out to make room for the girls. You're in with Mike now. Most of your stuff is in there, what wouldn't fit is in Splinter's room." Leo took up the candle, walking down to the rooms with him. The door to Don's old room was left open, and the candles poor light cast a dying illumination inside. Raphael paused to look inside, seeing the outline of bare thighs on floor mattresses. Heat was emanating from the room with the faint hum of all three space heaters. Sensing his brother's hesitation, Leo placed a hand on Raph's shoulder, pushing him along. He began walking immediately, knocking Leo's hand off brusquely.

At the end of the hall was Mike's room, the door closed for once. Raphael opened it and let the light spill in. With the presence of all his stuff, Mike's room looked doubly cramped. The largest two pieces of furniture, the beds, divided the room into a sort of hedge maze. In an already narrow room, it made for a very odd arrangement. Not that Raphael cared. His things had been laid out by his bed, and he still _had_ a bed. The fact that Mikey would nearly have to leap over him every time he wanted to get to his half of the room didn't bother him.

Leonardo explained about the girl's room in a hushed tone. "We broke down the wall between you and Don. So both your doors go in there remember." Raphael remembered indeed. Remembered what a hassle it had been to build that wall up in the first place. The big room had been the for the four of them when the were kids. When they were older Leo and Mike got to move into their own rooms, leaving Don and Raph to share the big room. When they were teenagers they built a wall dividing the room in two. It took months to find all the lumber and drywall while Don and Raph had to sleep in the living room. The privacy the four rooms had then afforded was one of the corner stones that kept them from killing each other at night.

"Broke it down?" Raph echoed, not so softly. "I'm surprised Don didn't crack is shell." Donatello had lead the charge in building the wall, and took great pride in it.

"He said we might as well. It needed replacing anyway. It was seventy percent spackle from repairs due to... your private practise. 

"In any event, just be sure not to walk in on them. Ok?" Raphael snorted, entering his new room. Leave it to his uptight brother to find that out himself. "Practice in the morning. I hope you've kept in shape."

"Don't worry about me." Raph unbuckled his belt and gave the little room another look over. Maybe living with Mikey wouldn't be that bad. As long as he kept his crap on his side of the room.

"Yeah well. Goodnight." The light pulled out of the room, and Leo's nearly silent descent back to the living room faded off. But that was alright, Raph already knew where his bed was in front of him. Dropping his disguise in a pile on the floor, Raph pulled his sai out and removed the second belt.

  


He was sure it was Kage that had ordered the attack. It was meant to be a warning. It was a personal declaration of war. And it had nothing to do with the old blood feud. This was just spite he was running off of. Because if anything, the presence of these girls would keep them out of the way of the Foot. Kage had to have foreseen that at least. It looked like Raph would have to find him and straighten him out. Probably straighten him out for good. With Kage out, it would be a few years at least until another capable leader got settled in the Foot and went after his family again. That would give him time to train the girls so they could stay out of trouble. And to think that Kage had probably been not a dozen yards away from him that night...

Lying himself down on the bed, Raphael crossed his arms under his pillow, stretching his legs over the end of the bed. He wondered if his brothers had started training the girls at all. Leo probably would try sometime. They didn't seem like the kind that would train easily. He would enjoy watching his brother try, though.

Then a clanking sound drew his attention to the back wall. There was a pipe that lead farther into the lair, though it hadn't been used in years. Raph had almost forgotten about it, he hadn't played in it since he was a kid. It only lead to the bathroom. The clanking grew louder, and he retrieved his sai, prepared for Kage's appearance. He wouldn't be caught sleeping this time. Raph slid into the darkest corner of the room to wait. It seemed strange that Kage wouldn't take the opportunity to apperate in the shadows. And that he had taken so long to show himself after having supposedly followed Raph home.

Raph held his sais a moment longer as Michelangelo pulled his torso out of the tube. His brother pulled the rest of himself out with little grace, falling to his bed like a newborn infant out of its mother. Mike grunted with the effort and started straightening himself out.

"Nice moves, Mike." Raph took his sais back.

"BLAH DA BLAH! Raph! You're here!" There was a shlump of comic books sliding and a few hard trinkets clumping against the floor. "How-when-...uh, when did you get here?" Mike hastely straightened his bed.

"What, did you need to make a secret trip to the bathroom?" Raph ignored the weakly propositioned questioned, and slid his sais safely under his pillow. "What's wrong with the door?"

"Oh, I, uh, just wanted to see if it worked."

"Yeah."

"Yeah... it does... so... we can use it instead of taking the long way! Sounds good, eh roomie?"

"I think I'll go the old fashioned way."

"Oh. Ok." Both brothers laid down in their beds. Raph waited with patience for Mike to begin his questions about the Foot. And after a few long minutes he spoke up. "Raph?"

"Yeah."

"....." A few more moments passed, and seemed to stretch out longer then the full minutes had. 

"Mike-"

"Nothing." Mike mumbled. "Nothing."

  
  
  


~So, it probably goes without saying for all fics, that reviews hasten the time between updates. That's also true now! And I'll go on to say that the end is in sight for this story. I'm determined not to let it fade off into unfinished history. But hey, if you'd like to update, then GO FOR THE GOLD! Maybe include how Potato Man has inspired your life. Have a great day! And a spectacular seven weeks till my lazy ass posts another chapter! J/k. or am I... no I'm not.

Sasami~


	17. The Report

  


I don't own rights to the Umbrella Corporation, which I reckon is copyrighted by Capcom. Hope you enjoy!

  


~~

  
  


"The cutting edge science and research division of the Umbrella Corporation's Mystic City laboratory claimed over seventeen spectacular acres of land and sea in a state of the art research facility. Known simply as _Terrenagwa_, or 'land and sea', the building _itself _reminded us of returning to the main, to our beginnings as a species. The _mission _of Terrenagwa was liken to this evolutionary condition; 'to impart helpful applications of knowledge from the sea and land to benefit _this _generation and the _next_.' 

What they _imparted _was a Science Fiction horror too graphic to be repeated in full on broadcast television. It lead to the destruction of this facility, and to the thirty-eight years worth of research and medicine stored inside. _Terrenagwa_, known for it's presence in medical care treatment and equipment, has reportedly been involved in _genetic engineering _research among other things. 

Hear now what this former researcher, one of only a handful coming forward, has to say. For securities sake, their voices and identities have been altered."

  


~Scene switches to studio, a silhouetted man sits in a darkened room with a fern. His voice is garbled but intelligible.~

"Terra had... great interest in the... environment. There were collection subs on the sea side wing that would go to the ocean. They brought us samples to study. Animals and plants. We were told to extract their properties however possible... Regrowth of lost appendages, healthy egg production. That was my job. Eggs.

I worked for twelve years at Terra. My subdivision put three drugs on the market in that time. In the last year, before the fire, we got word that subdivisions were expanding.

To make better drugs we needed better subjects. 

To make better subjects we needed better... DNA. 

They never said it like that. But from then on we worked with genetic engineers who specialized in our field. They would enhance the plants and animals, and we would then get them.

That's all I ever saw of the engineering. But it was explicit that it was taking place everywhere. That included, I suppose, the Land Division."

~Scene changes back to middle aged man with salt and pepper hair and a dark suit, standing before a cement foundation of an enormous building, leading off into the crashing sea.~

  


"The Land Division was a separate enterprise. _It _specialized in the human _mind _and _body_. It also released medicinal drugs, as well as psychiatric treatment techniques. These subdivisions _also _took part in the expansion. You may wonder, 'how so?' How could research based on _humanity_ benefit from genetic engineering? The answer will shock you. For while Terrenagwa's enhancement of sea anemones and coral samples may be standard, though not widely _discussed_, practice in these types of businesses; in the months before the explosion and destructive fire which consumed the Mystic City facility, _Terrenagwa _began practicing _genetic enhancements _on subjects from their land division. _Human _subjects.

Reports of laboratory technicians who are now testifying for the prosecution again Umbrella tell a _grizzly _tale of four voluntary test subjects in a Land Division research project, being transferred against their wishes to a Sea Division experimentation laboratory. On the tables of top level genetic engineers, they were exposed to series of unknown materials over the course of three months, which radically changed both their _mind _and their _bodies_. The intent of these experiments were to enhance the subjects of the Sea Division. To create superior _products_. No matter what the cost... Stay tuned for the rest of this breaking story, after the break."

  
  
  


A small apartment above ground was quiet with anticipation. Furnished sparsely, the owner rarely stayed but a few weeks a year. He was surprised but not alarmed to find guests show up in the night, especially these guests. Sitting around the milk box coffee table on a dilapidated couch they had once spent the night on, the four girls watched as their old acquaintance brought them a tray of chocolate milk.

"His assistant is a friend of mine. I dropped him the story." Keith Lambert set the tray on the poor wooden table and handed the cups out. Hope Arnold, Bliss Paynter, and Angel Brennan sat on the orange couch, Mercy Traición sat at the recliner at the end of the table. Keith looked them each over again. They were dressed in long pants and sweaters. They looked well cared for, and there was an immense relief at seeing them safe. He and his group of environmentalists had been the ones to find and rescue them from the facility they were being held. At the time they were shivering and naked, and hardly looked human at all. No one had expected them to live through the following week.

After setting off the bombs that destroyed the remainder of Terrenagwa, Keith and his friends brought the poor creatures with them to New York and nursed them back to health. After that, they went separate ways. Letting the nature of the city takes its course. He had hoped, but not expected, to see them again.

"Not that it'll stay on the air long. Umbrella is probably already hushing it up." He took the wooden chair across from the couch.

"We're glad you got the story out. No matter how long it stays on the air." Angel told him, receiving Keith's smile.

" 'Mind _and_ body." Mercy scoffed. "Like we turned into vegetables. Where did they get that part?"

"All supposition. It's not like they have you to speak for yourselves." He took a small sip, his face brightening with thought. "Though we _could_ arrange that."

"Eeeh." Hope grimaced, her friends mirroring the look.

"That's ok. We're fine the way we are." Angel set her cup back. Keith shrugged.

"If you ever change your mind, we would back you all the way." They didn't answer, so he went on to another subject. "So you've met some _guys_?"

"They're like us." Bliss offered. "_Really_ like us."

"They're letting us stay with them. They've been in New York all along!" Wiping the chocolate mustache from her beak, Hope continued. "I think they're karate masters or something. They have weapons and stuff."

"It's ninjitsu." Angel corrected.

"Weapons? Are you safe with these peoples?" Keith's tan face furrowed with concern.

"Yeah, they're fine." Bliss assured him.

"A little weird." Mercy added.

"But nice." Angel finished. "You'd like them."

"Do I get to meet them?" Keith took another drink, watching their reactions. It had surprised him how human they still were. Their facial expressions were still based on the ones they had grown up with in their human families. Even though it was sometimes difficult to distinguish them clearly. At the moment he read reluctance and apprehension, which he took as a sign relating to their well being. "What's wrong?"

"They don't really like strangers." Angel confessed. "The only reason they let _us _in their lives is because we happen to be in the same boat as theirs." Keith could think of another reason. 

"They don't know we're here tonight." Mercy added softly.

"So they don't let you go out?" He turned to Mercy, waiting while they ran through their memories. 

"Not without them, no." Mercy said with a curbed bitterness. 

"Some people want to kill them. So they stick around us so we don't get it too." Bliss surmised revealing her real sensibility. "Basically."

"What? Kill them?!" His face dropped in shock. Angel winced.

"Keith, most people _aren't _as accepting as you. The guys are just trying to make sure that we don't make enemies like they have."

"They're cool guys. One of them's really funny." Hope laughed. "They're really like... normal guys. You can't even tell that they weren't humans first. That's what they're like." Keith nodded slowly, scraping the tops of his nails for a few moments.

"If you guys..." He began, "ever feel unsafe, I want for you to come here. I'll give you a copy of my key so you can get in if I'm out of town." The girls watched as Keith stood up and disappeared into his bedroom. "If these guys have hits out on them and are trying to keep you under their thumbs, I don't care _what_ species they are, you need a place to hid out yourselves." He came back to the barren living room to find the girls standing, preparing to leave as they had entered, and he felt it in the pit of his stomach. He had so much he wanted to say to them, and hear. "Come here whenever you don't feel safe." He placed the key in Angel's outstretched hand. 

"Thank you, Keith." She put it in her pocket with a smile. "If we need it, we'll use it."

"We just dropped by to talk to you about the report. And so that you knew we were alright now." Mercy came forward and shook his hand.

"I'm glad you came. Thank you, Mercy."

"Good chocolate!" Hope came to shake his hand, but wound up giving a quick hug.

"Thanks." Keith laughed.

"Thanks for the..." Bliss shook the bottle of bourbon with a smile. She came and hugged Keith as well.

"No problem. Tell me next time and I'll get you a fresh bottle." He patted her back before she went to pick up her jacket. His hand slapped against the hardened shell beneath her red sweater. She paused a moment before taking up her jacket.

"Can you guys wait for me outside? I'll meet you in the alley." Angel watched as her friends pulled on their coats and said their last goodbyes. Mercy nudged her ribs, and she received another nudge away.

"Do you really have to go so soon." Keith asked as soon as the door closed. Rubbing her temple, Angel nodded with a faint smile. She had a feeling that the guys had already found their note, and were preparing to leave as she spoke. Leonardo would be furious. He closed the distance between them and combed the pair out of her face with his fingers.

"They probably already know we're gone. It's best we get back before they put a posse together." She answered softly. He sighed. 

"I've been thinking about you."

"Yeah." Angel softened as Keith pressed his lips against hers. Gently, and only for a moment. His hand rested on her shoulder and he pulled back.

"How have you been. Really."

"Really... it's been a roller coaster." His thumb stroked her collar bone. "Sometimes it's like it's all been a dream. But...no."

"...How are the girls."

"They're dealing. The guys have helped us a lot. They know what we're going through for the most part."

"For the most part." Keith echoed. Angel smiled and they continued to admire one another for some moment longer.

"There's something I'd like you to do for me." She said softly. Keith's hand slid from her shoulder as she backed towards the couch where her jacket lay. "Something to do for us." She pulled an envelope out from an inside pocket.

"Alright."

"We'd like you to get these to our parents." She said, coming back to him. "We've talked about it, and we'd like to start a correspondence with them... We should've tried to reach them a long time ago."

"_Angel_!" Mercy called from the alley beside Keith's window.

"Of course." He took the envelope like a sacred object. "I'll make sure it gets to them."

"Personally?" Thinking for a moment, he then nodded.

"I'll put it in their hands." The smile that came over her face was more than enough to propel him to come in for another kiss. This one was deeper, taking the thanks from her lips.

Angel pulled away sooner then he would have liked. She turned and proceeded to pull on her sagging trench coat.

"How will I get in touch with you... to give you stuff from them." He asked.

"We'll come again."

"All of you?" He waited as she turned back to him, pulling a hat on over her head. She nodded. Under the coat and disguise, she looked just like another shiftless member of the New York homeless. And she had to hurry to catch up to her friends.

  
  


~~

Ah good times, good times. There's going to be a rating change coming up after the next chapter, so you'll have to go a little out of your way to find the end of the story, which at the moment is still up in the air. But the next chapter is written, and will be edited and up in a few days. Yipee! Reviews are appreciated. So is money.

  


Thank you!!

  


~Sasami


	18. Michelangelo 2

Michelangelo~  
  
It was me who found the note in the morning. They had left it on a bed in their room, saying they were out to see a friend and not to worry. Not that it stopped us. We had told them a thousand times not to go out without one of us. They said that they would be back before morning anyway, so not to come out and search. But it was seven thirty and daylight and they still weren't back. We disregarded their plea for privacy.  
Leo acted like he had been offended by his old enemy, the universe. He ordered Don to his lab. Ordered him. Of course Leo went with him to flesh out some plan. But I could see Don was pissed by the directive.  
I figured that that report on the tube was what had made the girls go off without us. We had all seen it, only the night before. They had gotten really upset over it and went to their room for the rest of the night.  
Don probably had some of the same idea too, because he came out not long after with an address and building layout of one of the names the girls had provided from the rescue team. But Leo wanted some headquarters address too, in case they had gone there. So we couldn't all go to the apartment building. We would split up, some of us staying home to form and enact a second plan. There wasn't time for us all to go to one place and come back for a second try if we were wrong on the first run. And though we could only speculate then, time was counting against us.  
Grabbing his gear, Raph decided he was going. I called second, though I had to argue with Leo about keeping it.  
"Mike, you're staying here." He looked like he was going to strangle me. I don't think he wanted Raph going in the first place, and I probably didn't make a good chaperone.  
"Leo, they probably are just hanging low there so they don't have to travel in the day. I'll go with Raph and we'll get them!" I didn't know how much I believed that to be true, but I did know that Bliss had a big ol' bag of pot that she was probably using right now with the rest of the girls and their old 'friend'. I didn't want Leo to walk in on that and realize that I had supplied it somehow. Fifty bucks was still missing from his dresser.  
Fortunately Raph's short attention span decided it for us.  
"I'm going!" He snatched the paper out of Don's hand and tornadoed his way out the door, knocking over the lamp and breaking the bulb. I was after him like a jaguar on a trampoline. Leo couldn't catch up, it was a whole block underground till we stopped hearing him swear at us  
The address Don had written down was for an apartment on the other side of the bridge, and a pretty hard run. We figured they had taken the train themselves. While we were booking it that way, they were probably on the opposite train on their way back. That would've given them a few hours with their friend to get wasted and realize that they were late. Leo and Don would catch them when they got home.  
I tried to suppress the nagging feeling in me that all wasn't right. I already felt guilty about giving Bliss drugs. And yeah, I was ashamed about what I did with her that night. It wasn't good. I felt like a jerk, and Bliss had stopped talking to me. I was secretly hoping that we wouldn't find her there. It was so awkward around her now I didn't know what to do. I was almost certain that everyone else had found out. Bliss probably told her friends, and my brothers were pretty quick. If it ever came out, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Everyone liked Bliss, and she was so vulnerable, I probably HAD taken advantage of her. She just wanted to be closer to me, and I didn't exactly hesitate when it came down to it.  
"Mike." Raph barked at me, waking up out of my daydream. "Up here." He was already climbing towards the surface. I hurried after him.  
  
I wished they had left with him.  
  
It suddenly struck me, maybe they had really run-away. Maybe all this was some rouse to keep us busy while they made their escape somewhere's else. My heart leapt. No more worrying about Bliss. My brothers would be my brothers again. I could walk through MY home without having the fear of being propositioned for drugs. All my problems would be solved if they were dead. If they just ran away with that guy.  
Yeah, it would suck. They were friends, and I would miss them. I would miss Hope mostly, and Angel probably. Mercy was having some hormonal problems, I wouldn't miss that. But it's not like we could stop them from running away. We would all feel pretty shitty and rejected, but then things would get back on track! I could have my room back! Everything would be like before again!  
I walked right into Raph's shell, and he slammed me against the wall of the building.  
"What the fuck is your problem?" He hissed. I shrugged and mumbled something apologetic. He glared for a little while, but the need to find his little woman overcame his desire to punch me, so we started checking out the building. Raph would be better off too with this. He would get over his infatuation with Angel and stop being all pissy, then we could hang out and beat up thugs. I'm never as excited about vigilantism, but even that looked attractive now if it was without girls.  
We made it to the roof by means of a fire escape on the side of the building. I tried to concentrate, but my focus was just gone. I kept thinking about Bliss, and getting the drugs, how good she made me feel, how much I'd like for her to disappear. I really wasn't a good chaperone. We scanned the building and the ones surrounding, and headed inside. I remembered the buildings were pretty ratty. Substandard housing, noisey, some browned bricks were crumbling on the outside corners. Raph was going in through the roof and I was following. He was a edgier then usual, but why shouldn't he be. I can recall a few glimpses about the building, peeling wallpaper and crying babies. Then there was the moment of alarm when I realized we were walking around an inhabited building.  
"Holy shit, Raph! What are you doing!" I said a little too loud. I looked to the wall next to me where some voices were emmanating, but they didn't faulter. Raph didn't even turn. "Raph!" I hissed. He stopped in front of a door after a moment and checked the slip of paper in his hand. "This is not stealthy!"  
"Either shut up or go home." He raised his leg and quickly spiked the doorlock with his foot Once, twice, and with a grimace, a third time. The door broke open so hard that it crack against the inside wall with a boom. The noises from that floor all quieted for the first time, and I froze. Raph was out of his right mind. We were in the middle of a human's building, and he was busting in like we were the god damn SWAT team. Suddenly I wished I had listened to Leo, I didn't care about being caught with the pot. I didn't want to be caught on camera even more.  
Raph didn't pause after breaking the door, if his foot hadn't have done it, his body would have. I could hear the doors opening through the hall to see what had happened. There was no choice but to follow Raph in. I closed the door quickly, and locked it with what locks were still usable. I settled for jamming a jacket under the door. When I turned around Raph was out of my sight. There was a short passageway into the apartment, to what looked like a living room, with some chairs and a table, windows looking out onto the wall of another building. It looked like the guy had just moved in. And then had been robbed. I hurried inside and checked the place out quickly without seeing any of the girls. To the right was another room with a fridge, to the left was a dark room with drawn curtains where I heard Raph's voice coming from.  
"Where is she." He was demanding over someone's hyperventilating breath.  
"Huh?"  
"Where are they!" I ran in to find Raph pinning some half-naked shmuck against the wall. The girls weren't in here either and Raph looked desperate. He had his sai out already and put it lightly against the guy's throat. "You've got five seconds." It was pretty dark in the room, but enough light that the guy could see every green spot on Raph's face. He was sure getting a good look too. We both watched as he struggled to get his mouth around a word or two, his pale brown furrowing into familiar lines. Those five seconds were counting down, I wished he would just say something. I realized it was me up there, under Raph's flaming glare. 'What did you do?' He twisted the knife in deeper. The guy's squeal took me back to reality. I blindly trusted that ultimately Raph would let him live. But now I didn't know whether Raph would really kill him if he didn't talk. That scared me. I should've been able to tell. Had to get my head straightened out.  
"They left," the guy finally blurted. "This morning. Last night. Awhile, hours ago. They're gone." I almost felt sorry for the guy, it looked like he was about to piss his pants. I felt sorrier for us, since we were going to make headline news 'Mutant Reptiles Hold Interrogation At Knife Point.'  
"Raph, put him down. His not going to say anything if you're going to make him shishkobob."  
"He's said stuff so far." Raph tightened his grip on the guy's collar bone, I watched his face twist in pain. That was enough of that.  
"Alright Raph, he got the point." I marched up, fairly certain Raph wouldn't pop me one, and pried Raph's hand loose. "We got other things to worry about." Raph backed up a few steps at least, but his eyes continued to burn a hole in the guy. He still wouldn't put his sai away, and the guy didn't really relax at all. "What's his name again? Dude, what's your name?" I turned back to the man. He was still locked in a fearful gaze with Raph. A few moments and he realized I was talking to him.  
"Uh... Keith. Keith Aaron Lambert." He was an average sized guy, with brown curly hair, black eyes, and thin chest hair. I smiled in hopes of setting him at ease.  
"Sorry about waking you up like this. My brother's a little worried right now about our friends. We don't break people's doors down most days."  
"Huh... Okay." his forearms were shaking, his legs so tight that his knees buckled. "What do you want?"  
"You know what we want!" Raph had his sai like he was going to spear something, and was about to crash through the guy like he had done to the door.  
"Raph!" I grabbed him and had to haul him back kicking and growling. Keith bolted, and was out the door before I could catch him again. "Shit-" Raph snarled and nearly pounced over my shoulder. I thought he might've killed the twerp, so I pushed him back just as hard, forcing him back to the bed. I bolted after the human and slammed the door behind me. The guy was just rounding the corner into the kitchen. "Hey, hold up!" I didn't want him jumping out the window. But, I didn't really have to worry about that. I was half way to the kitchen when he came back around, leveling the double barrels of a twelve gauge shotgun. "Bah!" I skidded to a stop and dropped before the register of the gun resounded in the little hovel. The buck shot cleared my shell as I heard Raph coming out behind me.  
  
~~ Everybody loves a cliffhanger ;) Next chapter will be rated R, so keep an eye open 0_0 have a good night!  
  
~me 


	19. Mike and Raph

A.N- I hope you read this disclaimer before 'finishing' this story. I use little quotation marks because I've been mulling over the ending for the past three years. I could keep writing scenes till the end of creation and not be happy with what I end up with.

What I'm leaving is an ending, which right now is more important than dragging this story out till the end of creation. At some point I stopped writing for you folks- and started doing it for the story. So I'm sorry if these last two chapters don't taste well- but this is what has happened in the story.

I want to thank all of you for reading, and responding. I know that since you seem to genuinely like my writing that you want me to move on and come up with new work and not sit in unfinished spiderwebs, no matter how pretty.

After three years you deserve more than what I have here, so feel free to flame. Seriously.

K- more than enough yacking. Hit it, Michelangelo.

Grasping the cold brick, Michelangelo pulled himself up onto the rooftop from the fire escape. Raphael hung onto his side but still exerted a noted effort in the climbing. The sun was beginning to fill up the city, fleshing out it's quarters and bringing a yellow glow to muted buildings and sky. It was not a safe morning. An air conditioning duct offered a shadow of refuge, and Michelangelo went for it.

He eased Raphael down against the dark side of the cool metal so they could have a moment to think. Michelangelo wiped with his hand at the blood dribbling out of his brothers chest. The buck shot had peppered Raphael's carapace before he had a chance to blink, and had bored their way through his hardened shell. Raphael hacked another cough as he rocked himself up into a crouching position, surveying the nearby escape routes. Shift changes happened for police patrolmen near this time, hopefully there would be fewer cruisers around to respond to the call, if there even was one. Either way, the street side was out of the question. Rooftops were losing their cover fast, and the garbage collector was working through the alleys.

"Fuck." Raphael snarled as more blood dribbled down his chest.

"Come on." Michelangelo wiped it down with his hand before taking his brother under the arm. "We gotta get you wrapped up before you go dry." Lifting Raphael up to his feet, Mike walked him to the back ledge.

"The guy... he knows... something."

"Yeah, like how to dial 911." Mike mumbled. "Don't worry about him now." Taking his belt off, tucking his nunchukus into his brothers belt, Mike slung the leather band around a water pipe. "Can you do this?"

"Yeah, gimme-"

"I'll go first and spot you." Easing Raphael down to sit on the buildings edge, Mike took hold of his belt straps and started hopping down the side of the building. At first he had been glad to go with Raphael to see that the girls were gone for good, and to get away from bat-up-his-ass Leonardo. Now he knew that if he hadn't come Raph would've have died in some strangers apartment. Or he would've killed their only lead. It seemed that no matter how good anyone was, blind bad luck could always backhand them out of nowhere. This was the sort of week Michelangelo just wanted to stay under the covers for.

When his feet his the damp cement of the ground, Mike could see Raphael already preparing to come down too. A flash of metal, one sai plummeted three stories. Another flash. Mike caught them both, tucking them under his belt even as he strapped it on. The chucks were dropped, the heavy dowels landing smartly in his palms. He gave them an unconscious twirl and slid them back into their holders.

Raphael's arms were straining to compensate for the muscles he couldn't tighten in his stomach. He took longer than Mike. Blood splattered on the ground.

"Shit." Raph coughed. His holes were oozing more from the strain, he leaned back against the brick building, not bothering to put his belt on.

"Let's get back, ok?" Mike picked out a newspaper from the next alley, shaking it open to an unsoiled page. He pressed it to Raph's chest. "I'm calling Casey for a ride, you're going to bleed out on the walk."

"...Mm."

"Don't go anywhere." The alley pavement was morning cool, day light was inching around the edges of buildings to warm the garbage day stink. Mike peered out around the corner.

Chain link gates were being raised before tagged store fronts. A few people stood on sidewalk corner, or paused at a newsstand down the street. Dumpsters were closed crookedly on green feet. Recognizing a rundown S-Mart, Mike jogged to it under the shadow of unfurled canopies. The store was quiet, and the glow of fluorescent lights were still flickering to the full power. Ducking between shelves, Mike scurried to the back and it's payphone.

"Grrurrmmmurrbrr..."

"Casey, it's Michelangelo. We're in Brookland, need a ride right away."

"Brroolerrr? Urrr?"

"Meet us at the old S-mart, bring bandages and some iodine, or something like that."

"... _Whuiz_!"

Michelangelo sighed. "It's Mike, come to the S-mart, bandages, hurry."

"Rrrrurrrm. Kay." Dropping the phone back, Mike snuck back out the store before the clerks had finished their bagel-wiches. Skirting back into the safety of an alley, he worked his way back to Raphael. He almost missed the slumped figure, now thickly coated with blood, staring at him with dead eyes.

"Raph, Raph, _Fuck_, Raph!"

Down the next alley, the garbage truck beeped as it picked up it's load.

"No, Raph, no! _Please_! _Raphael!_"


	20. Broken and Beloved

_Yeah, I watched. I heard, and I came, and I watched._ Angel drew shaking breaths, her shoulder pressed against cool plaster. The last hour had passed like a year, and she didn't know if she would recognize anyone again. _Hi, remember me? You haven't changed a bit._

When had the time warp even started? Seeing Keith seemed likely. Or maybe it was the report on Terrenagwa that had started it. They had whispered at night, decided to see if Keith was still around. Why did it even matter if he was? They tried so hard to move forward, while the past called to them, and its pull was impossible. It was the sea they floated on.

They found Keith, and he opened his door, and he looked just the same. He smelled just the same, and he was the grungy gentlemen just the same. He kissed just the same. She waited after her friends left, floating on that warm sea, knowing the future would be cold.

Just a few minutes with Keith. She had parted from her friends just a few minutes, and they were gone. Up and down the alleys she looked, wishing the street lights brighter. Panic, hot and dry. Ever widening circles, as though they had just walked on ahead, or gone for donuts without telling her. She didn't find the sword until the second pass. It was splendidly sharp, and its hilt was carved and purple. She took it with her, and decided not to go back to Keith's.

Third pass and she heard the shotgun. It was a few blocks away, and by the time she made it there it had become weird quiet. That stillness that was almost normal if you didn't know better. It was by Keith's building, and near where she found the sword, and she watched, crouched like a ragged cat on a fire escape. A flash of silver, then another dropped from a roof a few buildings away. She watched one of the guys lumber down the side of the building.

She watched two of them pass her line of vision down another alley, she heard Mike's voice in the stillness, like the last of a ringing bell. She snuck down and crept up to see what they were doing. She leaned against the wall, and was a spectator in her own life. Mike had run off and left a brother behind, just like she had. Dirty newspaper stuck to his chest, and it turned dark. His breathing was haggard, and slowing. He faded fast, then he was gone. A minute later Mike was back.

"Raph, Raph, _Fuck_, Raph!" He grabbed Raph's head, looking for the life. "No, Raph, no! _Please_! _Raphael!" _Mike pulled him to lie flat on the ground and began pumping his chest.

Angel watched. Her sisters were gone, and the love with them. She was pressed up against Keith's building. He had soft lips, and a car that could take her anywhere, could take her home. And he would, in a second, if she asked. Her sisters were gone, and Keith was waiting upstairs for her to use that key. That warm sea.

But Keith kissed her like she was his broken thing. His broken beloved thing. And it wasn't true. She was her own broken thing.

The fine blade dragged on the ground as she approached Michelangelo, ruining it. He looked up, expecting an attack, finding Angel, cold and old.

"Break his ribs." She dropped by Raphael's other side, and slipping a hand behind his neck, tipped his chin back. "_Break his fucking ribs, you're not reaching his heart_."

The End.


End file.
